Metamorphosis, and Consequences
by Commando64
Summary: Leon and Helena are infected during the Lanshiang incident. How differently will things go now? How will others react to them? How does the C-Virus really work? Most importantly, how will they now survive in a world that hates them? Inspired by impalallama's own infected AU.
1. Chapter 1

Well, this was unexpected.

The creature codenamed 'Ustanak' surveyed the scene below him, standing strong despite the severity of his injuries. His two main targets, Jake and Sherry, had proven themselves capable of outwitting and defeating him, but he knew he was strong, much stronger than both of them. Yet with the assistance of these two new people, they had proven a very difficult challenge. While they were not his primary targets, they were far more troublesome than he expected, judging by his extensive injuries, though he knew he would recover.

He thought about what to do next. Orders were to recapture Jake and Sherry, and as he knew those two could take far more than any normal human or even a J'avo due to their unusual…nature, thus he could unleash attacks on them that would prove fatal to normal humans, but would be just enough to knock the two unconscious. It would be logical to simply kill the two interfering people. However, they too, were far from normal, but not in terms of genetics; they were simply more skilled and experienced than his main targets, and trying to separate and finish them off individually was exceedingly difficult.

It was a problem he needed to solve fast.

While most of his weapons were large and could be displayed openly for all to see, there was a weapon Ms Wong had given him earlier, saying it could be useful to 'soften up' his targets, provided there were normal humans nearby. He was aware his targets were immune to the C-Virus( though only Jake carried the antibodies) and the weapon should not have any effect on them. On the two troublesome agents, though…

Using his left hand, he pulled the small weapon out, and activated it before throwing.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is he doing?" Jake snorted at the giant B.O.W. that had been hounding them ever since Edonia. Even after a long fight that saw piles of gas tanks being detonated in front of its face, and combined fire from four guns, it was still standing? Jesus, couldn't it just die?!<p>

He watched as the persistent bastard pulled out something small and threw it at them. His eyes grew wide.

"GRENADE!" he yelled.

The three others gave similarly alarmed gasps and leapt out of the way. However, rather than rolling on the floor and exploding, Jake noticed that the small, round object seemed to poof into nothing in mid-air. There was a brief whooshing sensation, as if something small flew past his ear at high speed.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" he yelled as there was a prickling sensation on his cheek. He grasped the hard object before pulling it out, and he glared at it. It was a tiny needle, the type used in improvised nail-bombs used by budget mercenaries.

What did that bastard just do to him?

Leon groaned as something got him in the arm, Sherry crying out as he pushed her behind him to shield from what he thought to be an explosion. Helena similarly yelled in pain as she shielded her eyes with her hands, which now burned with pain.

"What…" he muttered as he pulled out the needles sticking to his forearm. It burned and itched, and he felt…sick, like the burn was spreading. He gasped-nearly 15 years worth of fighting B.O.W.s had made him realized what had happened to him. It didn't matter if the virus was different; he knew what had happened. He just stood there, gaping in shock as the reality set in.

Helena stared at the thing she pulled from her palms. Something in her unnerved her, telling her she knew what it was, but she did not want to accept it, refused to accept the reality.

She started coughing as there was a massive explosion behind the giant B.O.W. It was just nursing the wounds to its stomach, before it looked at them and uttered something resembling a laugh. The electric tower behind it exploded and creaked, and she hoped it would fall down and crush the bastard the next second.

What bothered her most was how calm it seemed now, like it was waiting for something. She coughed again as she suddenly felt very feverish; Leon was sweating and coughing profusely as well as he wiped his forehead.

Jake was preoccupied with glaring at the B.O.W. and shouting obscenities at it, telling it to come down and fight them. Sherry was the first person to notice something was wrong with Leon and Helena.

"Leon…? Helena…?" she asked as she turned to the two agents, who by now were constantly coughing and sputtering. She though back to the needle bomb the B.O.W. had thrown. Did it…

No…it couldn't have, it couldn't be!

But she knew what it was. And she also knew she was powerless to stop it. Completely powerless. And so she just stood there in shock as tears started to flow from her eyes.

"N-No…" she whimpered as she put her hands to her mouth.

Helena was trying her best to focus on the B.O.W., but she could not. Nausea, coughing, fever.…if it was any ordinary day, she would know it was just flu, but now that she thought about it…thought about Deborah before…

Impossible.

There was a wracking scream behind her. She turned around to see Leon screaming as he fell to his knees, hands grasping his head.

"Leon-" she started to say when he suddenly burst into flames.

"Oh my God!" she yelled. Jake spun around, alarmed, and stared at what was happening.

Sherry was still standing there and crying.

"L-Leon…" she croaked. Her savior, her protector, her guardian, her surrogate _father_ after Simmons and her real father…now destined to become a monster…

The combustion started to die down, but now greenish-grey goo was pouring out his bare skin, pooling out on the ground. He knelt down as he was consumed by the viscous liquid, fully aware the B.O.W. had thrown a C-Virus dart bomb at them. As the goo covered his face, he was able to think about only one thought.

"_Sherry…I'm so sorry…"_

The ooze started to slowly crystallize, and soon the thing before them was not Leon, but a solid cocoon on the ground with an impression of Leon's face, a defeated expression on it, permanently imprinted on the front of the Chrysalid.

* * *

><p>Ustanak watched the scene with interest from above. It had taken a bit longer for them to turn, but he could already see the effects on the woman. It would only be a matter of time until she, too, would become a Chrysalid like the man.<p>

Jake could only stare at the Chrysalid that had once been Leon. On one hand, he distrusted him, seeing as he was one of those 'government types' ; on the other hand, he had proven himself a very good fighter.

Actually, Jake was willing to say Leon was even better than Jake at fighting, and he was clearly a very important person to Sherry.

Sherry and that other woman…Helena, her name(whom he now noticed was very sickly-looking) were grieving over Leon now. If it was just another Chrysalid, he would not hesitate to use his inhuman strength to tear it apart, then use a whole box of matches to burn up whatever pathetic half-man-half-monster was in it, in a mangled state of transition between two very different bodies, whether it was alive or not. Or just stomp the poor thing to death.

But he had the feeling that if tried to do that to Leon-what was once Leon- now, the consequences would not be good. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Jake liked Sherry in the same way he admired the courage of mercenary friends who he used to think were wimps. And he was a man with few friends, hence his ease at killing his former allies by the dozens in Edonia. Losing a friend was something Jake did not need to happen now, especially when he would trust said friend with his life. And Helena was a ferocious fighter—he wasn't too sure about his chances if he decided to kill something that once cared for her.

Frustrated, he decided to take it all out on the guy who did this.

Turning around, he glared straight into the B.O.W's face.

"You fucking satisfied now, huh?! Come on, come down and settle this like a man! "

He pointed at it.

"Only a sissy would hide up there and use cheap tactics like this!" He picked up his assault rifle from the ground and fired non-stop at it, not bothering about ammo conservation—this was a way of releasing his anger. The B.O.W. just stared impassively before it ripped off a piece of metal sheet from the burning plane, using it as an impromptu shield to block the bullets.

"Jake…Jake, stop it, it's pointless,"

Jake turned around and glared at Sherry.

"Don't you wanna kill him for doing this to your…friend?" he said in a dangerously quiet tone.

"I WANT TO!" she yelled, displaying clear fury, "but right now we need to put Leon down before he comes out! You know the C-Virus, Jake! We have to do this!" she forced herself to say, her voice straining from the pressure as tears painted her face.

Jake angrily looked from her to the B.O.W.( who was watching with interest, still waiting for the main event to happen) when he noticed Helena suddenly descend into a very bad, hoarse coughing fit.

He lifted his gun, aiming it at her as Sherry quietly said, "She's infected too. Oh God…"

She did not answer the statement, coughing too hard. Her throat burned and itched for water as her mind went fuzzy, her vision going dark. As her eyes recovered, something wet dripped on her hand.

"W-What..?"

There were several drops of blood on the back of her hand. She was coughing blood.

That was what she could comprehend before she felt nothing but searing pain. She screamed and flailed her arms, the overpowering burning sensation touching every part of her skin, burning away her clothes. Her mind was so preoccupied with the pain, the only other thing she could do was reach her arm out to Leon's cocoon. An act that was increasing difficult, as the fire died down and she found it increasingly harder to move, as though her feet were rooted to the spot. A slimy, slithering sensation replaced the searing pain, she could feel it coming out of every pore, see her arm stiffen as slime covered it and drooled to the ground.

"_Was this what Deborah felt like too?"_ she solemnly though as she went blind, ooze covering her eyes.

* * *

><p>Sherry gasped as she saw Helena burst into flames and transform into a Chrysalid too before her eyes, Jake giving a similar expression of shock. There were a few moments of silence, the only sounds being the steady crackling of the fires around the area and Jake and Sherry's shallow breathing.<p>

"We…we have to do it. We have to kill them," Sherry of all people said with a tone of finality. Jake looked at her in surprise.

"Wait, you're…prepared to do it?"

A look of sorrow passed her face.

"You know as well as I do that giant B.O.W. infected them as a bullshit tactic, to soften us up, literally and psychologically," she stated. "We're not gonna give it that satisfaction. We'll put them to rest," she sighed. "Leon would have wanted us to do it."

They were both acutely aware their ammunition supply was heavily depleted from the earlier round, and they likely would not have enough to grant them a quick death. If they were ever forced to use melee, they knew how… traumatic it was to see an unfortunate soul prematurely broken out of its shell.

Jake was quiet for a moment before he nodded. He then readied the rifle, aiming down the sights. Sherry aimed her pistol.

"Goodbye, Leon, Helena. I'm so sorry for this…may you find peace on the other side." she said.

They opened fire. The bullets ricocheted off the cocoons, leaving scratches and cracks, but not much else. The shells were very resilient, often taking several clips of assault rifle fire before it even started leaking fluid, and even more before they fell apart to spill their malformed contents.

Sherry's pistol went dry. She patted her belt, only to realize there was none anymore. Jake already knew he was on his last clip, and after 26 shots the gun only clicked. There was no other choice now. Sherry took out her stun rod and nodded to Jake, who clenched his fists, aware of the strength he inherited from dear old Dad and what it could tear apart.

Whatever they were about to do next, they were interrupted when the B.O.W. roared and jumped down from its perch. From their position, they could see that most of its wounds had healed. Apparently, it knew that they had run out of ammunition and decided it could play first before the monsters in the cocoons inevitably hatched.

It replaced its hand device with the grappling claw type, and roared in a way that resembled laughter. Jake and Sherry were now lost; should they now redirect their attention on the giant B.O.W., or continue to focus on laying Leon and Helena to rest before they emerged?

Fate apparently decided to take action.

As the B.O.W. flexed its mechanical claws in that oddly arrogant way, it failed to notice the burning pylon behind it as it creaked even more. Suddenly, there was a massive explosion at the base of the structure, and the metal gave one last whine before it started collapsing.

A look of surprise seemed to appear on the B.O.W.'s face as it looked up.

It also appeared the tower was tall enough to cross the length of the airfield.

"SHERRY!" Jake yelled as he pushed the dazed girl aside, just as the tower smashed into the ground, bursting into flames, crushing their enemy in the process.

And separating them from the two cocoons, which they could still see from here.

Sherry fell to her knees in despair. "We…we couldn't save them…" she wept as the true scale of what just happened occurred to her. Leon, and his new friend Helena, were _dead._ For all intents and purposes, the people they once were are _dead—_now mindless brutes to be put down.

She would have continued that way had Jake not put his arm on her.

"C'mon, we gotta go…there's nothing more we can do for them. Reaching Simmons is our priority now." he reminded.

Simmons…

The last fact Leon and Helena told her was that Simmons could not be trusted, that he was responsible for the outbreak in the US. She personally knew Leon was not the type to lie, especially to a surrogate daughter like her.

She will get to the truth. She will do it, as one last thing to honor them.

"Yea…we gotta meet with Simmons….let's go,"

And with that, the agent and the mercenary left the scene.

Several seconds after they had left, a crack opened in the shell of Leon. Steam poured out of it, and the crack split even wider. The bubble-like sac within rapidly expanded, and a monstrous figure burst out of it, spraying goo everywhere, as it gave a mighty roar.

* * *

><p><em>Rate and review, please. Would appreciate if problems or out-of-character moments are pointed out.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn't move.

To Leon S. Kennedy, it was a surreal and terrifying experience, trapped in a shell made from his own body and unable to do anything except blink and breath, and even those were actions that took great effort. Slime dripped from the sac that seemed to be forming around him, and the temperature was uncomfortably hot.

Although he didn't know it, Helena Harper was sharing a similar view. She could hear her heartbeat quicken as she breathed shallowly, her hand still uncomfortably outstretched. She simply lacked the strength to even move, her whole body was very weak. She could only look around with her eyes, though there was nothing to see but the insides of her cocoon. She didn't know what would come next.

The two agents then experienced a strange sensation. Liquid covered their bodies, and it was doing…something to them. It almost felt like their bodies were softening, becoming clay-like, soft and watery, but there was no pain, just a weird, honestly spine-tingling feeling. Whatever was left of their clothes and their equipment, their guns, cellphones and radios, were either dissolved away or reduced to shapeless mounds of metal.

They gasped in anticipation.

Then pain, wrecking pain, far worse than any pain they had ever experienced, hit them. The stabbing sears slowly and agonizingly reshaped them. They could hear it, feel it as their bones cracked, their flesh slowly ripping itself apart with an organic squelching sound, their limbs gradually broken down and reconfigured into new forms with the wet sound of tearing meat and crunching bone. Their organ systems rearranged themselves to fit their new anatomies, bone-like material pushing out their skin, and entirely new organs forming as the virus did its work.

The worst part was that they could not move, twitch or even scream. They wanted to escape the torturous pain, break out of it, but they had no energy, could not move at all, forced to endure it the same way one might torture a man by holding him down and shutting his mouth before sawing off his leg, having absolutely no way to release the pain. They were very much aware of what was happening to their bodies, but were too focused on the pain to know exactly what.

Then, it came. Leon felt his body shudder in reaction to the pain. It was a minor thing, but the fact that he could move, even so small, was significant. He could feel energy slowly returning to him. He twitched his fingers, could struggle more against the shell. The pain was receding, but it was very hot, too hot, he wanted, needed to get out, to break out-

He heard a crack. Even more energy was returning to him. His body felt like it was returning to being solid, his strength coming back, and he pushed again with all his effort. There was an even louder crack this time, he could feel the open air as the hole in the cocoon became large enough, and with all his strength he rose out of it, the sac surrounding him straining with pressure, but after a few seconds it burst open, spilling the liquid contents.

He was free. He could feel the open air, he was free of the pain, he opened his mouth to give a yell of triumph-

But what came out instead was an inhuman roar.

* * *

><p>He didn't know what else he did for several seconds.<p>

Everything felt different. _He_ felt different. His body felt entirely different. His perception of the world around him was different. Everything was different.

He was snapped out of his trance a few seconds later when he heard a loud, distinctive crack. Turning over, he saw there was another Chrysalid quite close to him, its hands still reaching out to him. Despite the darkness, he could make out Helena's terrified face on the shell, unknowingly thanks to his enhanced vision.

God….not Helena too…

Steam wisped out as the crack spread further, and the sac came out, a vaguely humanoid outline visible through its translucent surface. The sac then exploded as the feminine figure struggling inside burst out, but instead of roaring or screeching like he did, she merely leaned her head back, panting in exhaustion, slime dripping off of her hair and skin. Leon didn't blame her; he could personally attest the transformation was a very, very exhausting(and painful) process.

As the seconds passed, more slime dripped down from their bodies, finally exposing their forms. Helena, the monster that used to be Helena, turned her head to face him. Leon stiffened; ready for anything.

"Hey...there, Leon." she suddenly said in a sad tone. Leon was taken aback.

"You…you can **think**?" he slowly asked. He then realized their voices had a distorted effect to them; almost as if there were multiple voices of varying pitches speaking at once. Speaking in general was difficult, and it took great effort to get their vocal chords to make sound.

Helena looked surprised or shocked for a moment before she turned away. He could hear her quietly crying to herself. Slowly, he then climbed out of his chrysalis, which broke apart and fell into pieces. Including the indentation of his face, which one might symbolically say is what's left of his humanity, shattered.

His body had been heavily mutated, and though humanoid, bore no resemblance to his former body at all. It was much taller than he really was, and far more muscular. Much of his skin had dissolved away, leaving bare muscles exposed. Most of these exposed sections were covered instead by ridges of bony plates, and his visible ribs were longer, the sharper, spike-like tips sticking out his chest. He could feel a second heart, exposed and beating under the bone plate on the left side of his chest. There was something about his arms he couldn't quite describe, though at least his fingers were just pointed and not long claws, and his feet did not seem to mutate much. He did not know anything about his face, but it felt damaged and deformed. His hair seemed to be intact, though slimy.

As he slowly walked over to Helena, however, not used to his new bulk yet, she turned over to him, and he stopped.

She wiped her eyes first before she took her first step out her chrysalis, stumbling upon touching the ground as the shell, too, fell to pieces.

Like Leon, her body was heavily mutated, though in a different way. Her skin was replaced by a chitinous exoskeleton, scaly in appearance. Her hands seemed to consist of four fingers, three of which possessed long, sharp claws, the fourth apparently just a stub. Speaking of which, from the length of her arms hung wing-like feathers; mostly black and dark green. Her legs had changed massively; aside from the scaly armor, she now had a digitigrade stance, two nasty-looking clawed toes and a large slashing claw supporting her body weight, which came up to a bone spike sticking out her second joint. She had a tail—long and powerful, with a blade at the end, and very feathered, with eye-like patterns. It looked like a bird's tail, though from the way it swished about he knew it had a muscular structure.

Like Leon, her hair appeared unchanged, but her face was scarred, with lesion-like, cancerous deformities. Her eyes were bright yellow and slit-pupiled. Five long segmented insect-like legs hung from her back, and after a moment he realized in who else he saw that mutation.

"…Helena?" he asked in his guttural, raspy voice.

She looked up to him and blinked(he noticed how she also had horizontal third eyelids) before she spoke, a slight hissing effect to her voice.

"I…don't know **how we'll **continue… after **this**," she admitted. "We're fucking...**monsters, in **case you can't see." Suddenly, her face hardened, and she raked her new claws across the cement, leaving a trail.

"Simmons will **pay**. He'll still pay for what he **did to us**. Did to **Deborah.** Oh yes **we will. **We'll show him just what **his precious **virus **can do."** She said as she looked at her claws. He understood what she meant, judging by the way she seemed to be looking at them with a combination of disgust and awe.

Leon was silent for a moment before he said "I agree…but I **think we should** get used to…**ourselves **first," he said awkwardly.

Shame suddenly filled her face before she looked away.

"I…yes. Have to…**test out**…" she said with strained effort. She then took another step forward, only to trip and fall on her claws. She screeched, really not used to walking with her new legs at all. At least Leon's feet were still relatively human-shaped.

"E-Easy **there**," Leon said as he helped her up. She took a good look at his face.

"What's **my face** look like?" he asked.

"Yellow **eyes**," she replied. "You look scarred. **Burned-looking**. Sharp teeth. And it looks like your lower jaws can split into two."

What? He had not really bothered to do the…'testing' yet, so he tried it.

His lower jaw split into two beetle-like mandibles, slime sticking between them. He rubbed them together, creating an eerie clicking sound. Helena looked creeped out, so he put his jaws together again, which took some effort. "How'd I look, then?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Much the same. Minus the...mandibles, your jaws look the same."

"Oh."

There were several moments of awkward silence.

"Do you know where to go?" Helena suddenly asked Leon.

"What?"

"That Sherry girl. You know her. She said she **was going to see Simmons.**"

He had a funny look on his face. "N-No…I don't know **where**. Guess we have to just…**look around manually."**

She shook her head before looking over at the remains of their cocoons. "You su**ppose any **of our equipment survived the…**process**?"

He shrugged again. "We can only hope so,"

Sadly, their equipment did not survive. Their radios and cellphones were but sizzling mounds of metal and plastic, and when Helena tried to pick up something that vaguely resembled her Hydra shotgun, the triple barrels fell off from the rest of the gun and landed with a wet splat. She sighed sadly. She liked that gun. It had served her well.

No communications. That meant they had to randomly wander around an alien city and just hope to bump into Simmons or Sherry and Jake. They hoped for their own sake they did not meet any civilians, or Hell, B.S.A.A troopers, who would probably open fire without thinking.

And no weapons too. They had to now rely on their…'natural' weapons. Over the next several minutes, they tried their best to get used to their mutated bodies, discovering their various 'weapons'. They also discovered their natural senses had been enhanced to an almost superhuman level, and within minutes could recognize each other's unique scent. It was a horrible gift, true, but undoubtedly a useful one, especially if they got separated. They really were organic weapons, it seemed like.

Leon watched as Helena wiped her mouth, a trail of acidic saliva dribbling to the ground and sizzling upon touching it. Her insect limbs had been retracted to inside her, for reasons he believed he understood. Like her…sister, she had a large degree of control over them, and they, too, had those yellow glowing…pustules on them, though the limbs were considerably thinner but sharper than Deborah's, and were more leg-like than tentacle-like, the tips resembling spears.

"_They remind__ her she isn't much different from her_ sister," he thought to himself as she looked at him.

"I think that's **enough,**" she said.

"Are **you sure**?" he asked as she walked towards him. She had definitely improved with her new anatomical structure in the past few minutes, but it was still slow and awkward.

"Yea. **We can't **waste any more time. Let's go," she said.

Leon stood for a moment before he nodded. The two newborn B.O.W.s went to the far door, and left the area.

#####################################################################################

**Hunnigan: **Leon, why did you do that?!

**Leon: **Do what?

**Hunnigan: **That poor cow! Why did you kill it? It was helpless, and you just killed it!

**Leon: **Um…

**Hunnigan: **Do you actually enjoy this kind of behavior?! Abusing helpless farm animals?!

**Leon: **…

**Hunnigan: **Listen, Leon, cruelty to animals has already long since been associated with antisocial and sociopathic behavior. If this behavior is kept up, once you return you will be subjected to an immediate psychological review, which can and will dictate your future work and pay, Leon. Understood?

**Leon: ***grumble*

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_Rate and review, please. Would appreciate if problems or out-of-character moments are pointed out. Special thanks to Nightlore for being my beta reader. _


	3. Chapter 3

Several chickens clucked freely on the road, having been accidently released by their human owners. As the wind blew, however, they detected an unfamiliar scent, an alien, diseased scent. Before they even saw the source, the chickens had already panicked and squawked about, many running off into the darkness of the market.

Two tall figures emerged from the door, having to awkwardly bend themselves down due to their height. One looked somewhat like a Tyrant with spiked ribs and cracked bone plate armor, while the other looked like some hideous bird-lizard-woman hybrid. They walked to the middle to the deserted road, where they looked around, taking in their surroundings.

"So…**where...to**?" Leon asked. Helena shrugged. They both had no idea where to go, though they were unaware their target wasn't actually much too far from them—just a few blocks away.

They decided to explore the general area first, see if there were any 'clues', so to speak. Both knew the odds of finding clues about Sherry and Jake's or Simmons' location in a goddamn outdoor market was remarkably low, but they did it nonetheless.

The wind blew, causing bits of trash and plastic to fly across the street. And with it, a tantalizingly sweet scent hit their noses. They both paused for a while, taking it in before looking at the market. The transformation had taken quite a lot of energy from them, and wordlessly, instinctively, they began to move towards the market.

The smell was everywhere, it seemed. One type of scent smelled different from the other, and as Leon followed the different one he came across the source. A human corpse, his face a gaping hole and his chest having apparently burst from the inside out.

How long had it been since they last ate? He was tempted to just reach out, grab a chunk of flesh, tear it, eat it…

He shook his head and stared at the corpse a little more before deciding to pursue the other scent. He tasted the air, sniffing it, and found Helena's scent going there too among many other scents, but his instinct told him he should only focus on the sweet scent. The trail took him to the nearest butcher shop, dismembered pigs and bloody hunks of meat hanging off the hooks while a grinder continued running. Helena was already there, staring at the….**food**. She turned to look at him. "Do you…have that **urge, too**?" she asked. He didn't answer, just continued staring. Helena turned to look back at the meat, then she suddenly started shaking, acidic saliva dribbled from her mouth, as if her body was very excited and then-

She reached out and grabbed a pig leg before bringing it to her mouth and biting down. Blood spewed out as she voraciously ate, taking several bites before quickly chewing it with her sharp teeth and swallowed. Though she was disgusted and horrified by what she was doing, her body wasn't listening to her, and she sank her teeth into the flesh again, feeling the sweet taste of blood on her tongue.

**Anything's better than starving to death. You know that, don't you?**

Seeing her give in to her instincts, he couldn't resist as well. He ran forward and pulled a chunk of flesh to him before sinking his jaws into them, his mandibles splitting apart and pulling in meat before he swallowed them whole. The meat was tasty, but it was cold, it would've been better if it was warm, alive-

He pushed those thoughts from his mind and devoured the rest of the meat. He then reached for Helena's morsel, but she actually snapped at him, as if refusing to give up her prize, before her eyes fell on something and she moved away.

Helena had realized there was a **treasure trove** here, a whole pig hanging from a meat hook.

Determined not to let anyone else steal her food, she ripped open the belly of the animal with her right foot's large slashing claw, before burrowing her face in, ravenously devouring the **tasty** organs inside, far tastier than the meat which she now realized was very bland, the internal organs were the **tastiest**-

Something pushed her aside, her bloodstained face coming out of the hole, entrails still hanging from her mouth, and she hissed at Leon, who proceeded to dig into her very own pig before he turned at her and **growled, **and her tail feathers bristling, her slashing claw tapping the ground in anticipation-

They both quieted down when they realized what was happening. With a sheepish look, Leon mumbled some kind of apology before dining on the hunks of bland muscle meat close by.

"Umm…it's **ok**," he heard Helena said. "We can…**share it, **you know?"

He nodded his thanks before unhooking the pig and placing it on the ground. He then knelt down and started eating, biting on the flesh like an animal. Helena didn't waste her time in joining in the feast.

Minutes later, the pig corpse was but a bloodied skeleton.

At first, they stood up, panting at their heavy but worthwhile meal, unable to eat any more. And then, guilt crossed their faces, and they looked away from the remains of the pig before moving off.

"I…I couldn't stop," Helena said. "The moment that blood touches your tongue, you go in a frenzy, you just wanna eat...and eat...and eat…I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, Leon. All...of it." she said as she looked away.

"It's ok, Helena. We just…couldn't control ourselves," he said sincerely as he put his hand on her scaly shoulder.

"Couldn't control ourselves….couldn't control ourselves…**yea**…." She said, then looked straight into Leon's eyes. There was a murderous aura about her eyes, though the rest of her face remained eerily expressionless.

"We can think, Leon…we can think, we're still ourselves…" as she spoke, the previously hidden insect legs on her back started coming up, revealing themselves. For some reason, Leon had a very bad feeling about this.

"Why did Deborah attack us, huh? We can still think for ourselves…I'm sure she…**could**…**too**…**why…why...**" she stared at her claws as her tail feathers bristled, the 'irises' of the eye patterns shrinking, apparently indicative of her mood. Her insect legs started shuddering, as though in anger.

"Ada…that **horrible woman…**"she snarled. "**She shot **Deborah first, before **we could even reason with her, she was just afraid, thought we were threats, wanted to kill her…**because of that **witch**…and she even has the gall to tell me **murdering my sister because she thought we were going to kill her was sympathy**…"

She grasped Leon's hand.

"She needs to **die**, Leon. She murdered...sis...as much as Simmons did. I **hope you...don't...mind.**" She hissed. Leon didn't know what to say. On one hand, a part of him still cared very much for Ada, believed she had done the right thing. There was also the fact he was still smitten for her after all these years.

On the other hand, what Helena said may have been true, that Deborah was provoked into attacking. After all, wasn't he and Helena very real proof now that the infected could still retain some semblance of their minds?

His low, non-threatening growl and downward pointed eyes spoke about his opinion. Helena hissed as her pupils narrowed and she bared her sharp teeth.

She started to open her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

An armoured van crashed through the barricade that had been erected on the road. It drove straight through the market, past Leon and Helena, knocking over all the junk in the way before it abruptly stopped upon turning to the right and hitting a steel door. Smoke came out the roof of the vehicle before the doors opened. A helicopter thundered overhead, its searchlight focused upon the van as several men wearing traditional ceramic masks, apparently civilians, climbed out.

Ropes then came down from the chopper as uniformed soldiers rappelled down. The masked men pointed at them and shouted in Cantonese before drawing out firearms Leon and Helena did not previously see, and opened fire on the soldiers.

Leon recognized them as B.S.A.A. Why they were firing on civilians, he didn't care but he knew it was bad for him and Helena.

"Mission control, engaging hostiles, we've got a group of J'avo!" one of the soldiers shouted into his radio.

"Leon, what do...we...do?" Helena asked. He pondered the question for a moment.

"S-sneak out. Don't let anyone...see,"

The firefight seemed to be on the side of the B.S.A.A., as they suffered only a few wounded men, while the masked men were suffering heavy casualties. Looks like they didn't have much training.

Ducking behind cover, sneaking through the B.S.A.A. was surprisingly easy for the duo given their size, as the soldiers were preoccupied with fighting the "J'avo", as they were called.

One of the masked men rushed out into the open, brandishing only a knife as he laughed manically. The troopers opened fire on him, and as he stumbled back Leon noticed that his bullet wounds seemed to be regenerating.

As he grasped his arm and roared in pain, however, he looked at the structure and started screaming. To Leon and Helena's horror, his arm literally bloated up like a balloon and exploded, an organic shield-like structure in its place. The explosion also blasted off his mask, and with their enhanced vision they could see that his face was horribly mutated; several bulbous, yellow eyes adorned his forehead, the skin ruptured and bleeding. He grinned at the shocked soldiers before raising the mutated arm and slowly advancing forward.

Leon touched the side of his head, feeling rather uncomfortable.

The bullets could not penetrate the shield arm, and as the soldiers focused their fire on it, they could not notice both the duo and the remaining J'avo, who began advancing towards the troopers thanks to the diversion and cover created by their fellow. A stray bullet hit the leg of one of them, and he screamed before his entire lower torso exploded, a giant moth-like body and moth wings in its place. His upper torso dangled upside down as the moth body fluttered upward, and he started raining down machine-gun fire from above, past the soldiers' cover.

"We have a Type-5 mutation!" one of the troopers shouted as he covered his head.

Jesus, what _were_ these people?! Is this the work of the C-Virus?!

The soldiers started to retreat from the onslaught, when someone caught sight of them, crouching down and trying to get past them.

"We have _two _fucking Chrysalid mutations! Where did they come from?!" he shrieked, horror in his voice.

Almost immediately, all the soldiers directed fire on them. They were priority targets, more important than even the remaining J'avos who were closing in on them.

Instead of fighting back like they probably expected, Helena burst out from her cover and started fleeing in the opposite direction, towards the road that was previously blocked. Leon followed suit as he heard the surprised reactions of the soldiers.

"Are they running from us?"  
>"Fucking B.O.W.s are scared! Ha!"<br>"Have a taste of humanity!"  
>"Suck on that, you sons of bitches-Ahh!"<p>

The last one screamed as he was lifted up into the air by the moth-J'avo. The masked man then put his hands around the soldier's neck before he twisted. A sickening snap was heard as his lifeless body fell to the earth.

"Jericho! No!" one of them cried. With the J'avo so close by, the rest of the soldiers were swiftly overwhelmed. One was knocked to the ground by a bash from the shield-J'avo, who then slowly walked over to his stunned form before raising his foot and crushing his skull. Another screamed as a J'avo rushed him and ran a machete through his stomach. Two of them tried to put on a valiant last stand, but were killed when another J'avo mutated, some kind of worm-organ emerging from a bullet wound on his chest and spitting silk on them, making them easy targets. The last one tried to run, only to be gunned down by the remaining J'avo. Their victory was short-lived, however, as an organism emerged from the pile of corpses in the far back of the market and saw the group of potential hosts cheering over the fallen soldiers.

* * *

><p>The doors burst open, and two B.O.W.s came in. They stood there, panting as they regained their energy. What bullet wounds they received had regenerated. The virus made sure of that.<p>

As they looked around the building they had entered to avoid being caught in the streets, however, Helena noticed Leon looking away, guilt on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He turned and looked at her.

"Nothing…it's just that, well, we**…got those B.S.A.A. **soldiers…**killed**." He said.

She looked away, and was silent for a moment. Her extra limbs receded back into her body.

"C'mon. Let's go,"  
>"Where?"<br>"I have no idea." she admitted.

* * *

><p><em>Intercepted Edonian Liberation Army radio comms, B.S.A.A( translated from Serbian)<em>

_Operator 1: Hello...hello...assistance, please...if anyone can hear this...please respond...*coughs*_

_Operator 2: R-Responding...we have a...very bad situation...*coughs* the serums provided by the woman...had unexpected...side...effects...*groans in pain*_

_Operator 1: No...not you guys too..._

_Operator 2: She...gave the serums...to all our cells across the country...said it would assist us...but it made us into FREAKS! MONSTERS! FREAKS! SHE WILL PAY FOR THIS!_

_Operator 1: Yes...the Muller kid..._

_Operator 2: W-What about him? Who is he?!_

_Operator 1: He...nothing bad happened to him...nothing bad at all...he killed my best friend Franco too...found his dog tags...he knew this would happen! He knew it! He was working with that woman, knew exactly what would happen! I say we find him, we KILL HIM!_

_Operator 2:...if he is indeed involved in doing...THIS...to us...tell all the other cells, all of them, kill this Muller guy on sight! The B.S.A.A dogs should not be prioritized! Find Muller, find the woman too, KILL THEM!_

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><p><em>Please rate and review, please. Critique is fully appreciated :)<em>


	4. Chapter 4

The indoor market/apartment complex hybrid was completely silent. The people in them appeared to have been hastily evacuated, judging by the abandoned half-eaten meals and the electrical appliances that were still on. A corpse sat against the wall, his head a bloody smear on it.

Leon and Helena wandered the corridors, ignoring the distant screams and gunfire. They were not…hungry, for now at least, and simply explored the building they found themselves in.

There was some ragged breathing ahead, and they watched as a man in a mask rounded the corner, a bloodstained machete in his hand. Upon seeing them, he froze, then slowly backed down, as if afraid of them despite the fact he himself was probably a mutant. Leon and Helena stood, not making a move.

He shouted something in Cantonese in a questioning tone, then motioned with the revolver he had pulled from his pants. The two B.O.W.s did not answer, and the man shouted again, more angrily, in Cantonese.

"Sorry, we…can't speak your...language," Helena said to him.

It seemed speaking English was all it took, as he screamed before charging them, waving his machete like an idiot.

Leon acted. He rushed forward before extending an organic weapon he had discovered from before—blood erupted from his right wrist as a bone blade extended out of it. He lifted his arm before the J'avo, who stood there staring up in apparent awe at his size before screaming as he was impaled with the blade.

"**Ji-bai! Ji-baiiiii!"**

He screamed, sputtering what were probably Cantonese curses as he flailed on the blade before slipping off.

His corpse spontaneously combusted and disintegrated into ashes as Leon retracted his blade and Helena walked up.

"Wasn't that a little…too extreme?" she asked.

"He was a **threat**. That's that." he said.

She grunted in apparent agreement, after a short pause.

They moved on.

Several other voices yelled to each other in Cantonese as they arrived in a very large room, evidently a hall or gathering place of sorts. Several tables had been pushed over as cover, and on the other side of the chamber several J'avo moved to positions and laid down covering fire with their automatic machine guns.

The two ducked under some cover of their own, a table adjoined to a pillar. It wasn't perfect, as their size made it impossible for them to hide all the way, but the untrained men weren't the best shots.

"I...think I can **take the closer **ones," Leon said.

Helena nodded to him before her attention was suddenly drawn upward. Some instinct was pulling her in, imploring her to…do it.

"What's wrong?" Leon asked.

"Be…right **back**," Helena answered before she leapt up the ceiling, clinging to the grating of a rusty air vent before ripping it off. She then clambered into the vent and disappeared from sight, her tail the last thing he saw.

He shrugged before charging out from cover.

Rushing at them, he grabbed one foolish J'avo who came out of cover by the neck, before slamming him into the ground. The cement cracked with pressure as the masked man cried out in pain and went still.

Another J'avo had abandoned his AK-47 assault rifle in favor of a combat knife, something Leon personally found strange, unstrategic, and plain stupid. He grabbed the knife by the blade with his bare hands before yanking it from his grip and stabbing the guy in the chest with it. He screamed as he fell to the ground and slowly pulled the knife out. His wound had started regenerating, but then Leon came up beside him and stomped him on the torso. The force literally split him apart, creating a large hole in his chest, before Leon kicked him away. His corpse started smoking as it hit the wall.

The other J'avo were busy firing upon Leon, their weak sub-machine guns failing to punch through his bone armor. They did not notice the telltale sound of something heavy quickly clomping through the vents overhead. A grate fell down, and one unlucky J'avo backed under it as he unpinned a grenade, preparing to throw it. However, the poor guy dropped it as he was suddenly impaled from behind with a long, sharp blade. He stared at it for a moment in shock before screaming as he was lifted up into the vents. His comrades, only just realizing his disappearance, ran over to investigate, unaware of the live grenade at their feet. It exploded a second later.

Meanwhile, the two remaining J'avo were shaking in their boots as they continued firing on the armored Tyrant-like beast who casually strolled over to them. One of them noticed the vents above them having dust shaken from them as something moved inside, and yelled as he carelessly opened fire. They underestimated the raptor-woman's speed in the vents, however – the grating above them broke as the mangled remains of their vanished friend fell down, followed shortly by the perpetrator herself. The tail raised itself up, revealing the long, graceful blade at the end of it,which was normally hidden well by the feathers. She screeched before raising one foot and slashing down a J'avo with her large claw, instantly disemboweling him and causing him to gurgle as he futilely tried to put his intestines back in their place. The last J'avo tried to stab her in the back with a machete, but was impaled to the wall by the wrist-blade of the other monster. In one last act of defiance, he growled to his face before the large B.O.W let go, the body sliding to the ground before disintegrating, though the blood remained.

Well, that was that. Leon and Helena looked around, observing their feats in the form of the amount of blood and dismembered body parts that splattered the chamber.

Carnage, what it was.

"…woah," Leon said.

"That was…fast and...easy." Helena confirmed his thoughts. Their strength was…far above what they had if they were human. If all they had were reflexes and guns, the fight would have dragged on much longer.

After an awkward moment of silence, they decided to move on.

After some minutes, they came to a large elevator. They nodded to each other before Leon pushed the 'up' button with his finger.

"So, uh, what do you think'll happen when this is…over?" Helena asked. There was a period of silence.

"I really don't know, Helena. I really don't…know," Leon replied, shaking his head as the elevator arrived with a _ding_.

After fitting themselves in, he pushed the button to go up to the top floor, the 30th. When Helena asked him why, he just shrugged and replied it might be a good way to get a view of their surroundings, and then hopefully plan their next actions.

Then, the elevator suddenly started creaking, as it slowed down.

"What's happening?" Leon asked.

The elevator then came to a complete stop, and suddenly the lights went out.

"**Goddamn…** power problem," Helena growled as Leon shook his head. He then gripped his hands on the doors and started forcing them open. Helena looked above her.

"Hold on a sec," he said as his superior strength succeeded in getting the door to open to a manageable size. They were halfway to a floor, and they could crawl out this way.

"Come on, Helena," he called, only to hear a clang. He turned back to see a vent grate on the floor, and a few quick thumps. Looking back in front of him, he saw two clawed bird-like feet land, and Helena's face peered down at him.

"Come on, Leon," she answered, though not in the playful tone one might expect to an answer like that. She held out her clawed hand, motioning for Leon to grab it.

Leon let go of the doors and reached his hand out when the elevator rumbled.

"**Grah****h**!" he roared as he tried to keep steady.

"C-Careful..." Helena warned.

Several snaps could suddenly be heard, and then there was a nauseous feeling as Leon suddenly felt himself floating in the air as the elevator plunged downwards for several seconds. All of a sudden, he could feel nothing but cold water around him, and he let out muffled cries while swimming through the vent in the ceiling. He needed to reach the surface fast, he was drowning…

He broke the surface, gasping for air as he flailed around to keep himself afloat, which was difficult with his weight and body.

"**LEON**!" he heard Helena yell from above, though it sounded more like a horrific screech with her voice being like that.

"I'm fine! You...you s-stay there! I'll...get back up...**you**...you!"

"NO, I'M NOT...**FINE** WITH THAT! I'LL GO...D-DOWN TOO!" she screeched back before vanishing.

"No...stay there! I'll...get b-back...up!" under his breath, he said "I hope,"

Climbing out of the water, he took a moment to observe where he was. It was dark and damp, and smelled mouldy, like it had been abandoned or neglected for some time. He was probably in a basement floor. What was strange, though, was how he could also feel a little…cold.

Lumbering past the decaying infrastructure, he saw a metal door at the end of a long corridor. It was shut tight, and caution tape was marked around it, along with spray-painted Mandarin graffiti, like a warning.

Ignoring the human instinct that told him he should abide the warning and leave the door alone, he opened it. It took some strength, but eventually the steel door budged with a few punches and he creaked it open before stepping in.

He stared in awe and disgust. It looked to be some sort of giant meat locker, the walls icy blue and covered in ice. Several large slabs of meat hung by the ceiling, frozen in ice. However, among the meat were also what appeared to be…humans, or at least humanoid creatures, frozen well. It reminded him of the twisted experiments with the Las Plagas kept in the freezer room in Spain, several years ago.

As he walked among the maze-like slabs, having no intention of…savouring the cold meat, he noticed the frozen chrysalis in the middle of the room. The back was already open, and whoever-whatever- was inside it had escaped into the room.

He paused, and sniffed the air. There was nothing unusual in it, but he kept his guard up as he cautiously looked behind him, as if sensing something.

He didn't see something materialize out of the ice behind of him.

Looking back, he was greeted by the sight of what seemed to be a swarm of floating ice particles. The particles amassed, forming something that looked vaguely humanoid. Its body was covered in jagged ice armour, randomly shaped and dangerous-looking spikes. Any exposed skin was icy blue, purple veins showing through the skin. His teeth were misshapen, the lips crusted and broken. The eyes were hidden by the several crown-like ice spikes that consumed his head.

"…e…easy there, buddy." Leon said as he held up his hands. If Helena's theory was correct, this ice-man should be sentient and possibly reasonable. Not to mention, they were both mutants.

It responded by growling and pointed a finger at him. A beam of…something shot out from the hand, and after a blast of a cold sensation, Leon realized he could not move.

"_What the hell!"_ he inwardly thought as he struggled to thaw himself out of the ice. The monster casually strode up to him and raised his fist, ready to punch down and shatter him.

He would have, if not for Leon thawing out just in time and awkwardly rolling to the side.

He looked at the monster, which seemed to glare at him before it vanished, dissipating into an invisible swarm of ice particles.

He growled as he felt the air around him. It seemed to be shifting, and the claustrophobic environment allowed him to feel something in the air moving around. There was a loud noise directly behind him-

He grew out his wrist blade and blindly stabbed at the reformed mutant behind him.

It roared as dark purple blood spurted from the wound, before it dissipated once more. This time, though, Leon could see the swarm as it made its way down the slabs of meat into an adjacent room, seeping through the door gaps.

Seeing no other choice as there was no other direction to go, he chased it down and smashed the door aside.

He found himself in a square room. Several human corpses hung from the ceiling in ice, and there were several corpses more that had been put into…sickening poses. He wondered if it was all the monster's work. If so...he had a really, really disturbing sense of art.

He heard a whoosh that seemed to originate all around him, and somebody started laughing, again, apparently coming from everywhere in the room at once.

He didn't notice as something he had mistook for one of the many ice 'sculptures' behind him suddenly came to life.

Something cold struck him from behind, and his heart(well, his two hearts, actually) jolted when he realized he could not move again. He was flash-frozen, and the monster knew it, as it crept from behind him to apparently admire Leon, seeing as it started stroking his face, all the while giggling creepily like a pervert.

Leon tried to move, to take advantage of the creature letting it's guard down, but thawing out was far more difficult now. It had made sure he was frozen far more than before.

It emitted something resembling an arrogant laugh before it raised its hand and opened its palm, intending to strike Leon.

It would have done so, if clawed hands had not wrapped themselves around the monster's neck, which choked and flailed around before throwing off Helena, who screamed as one of her hands, which seemed to have been frozen solid, shattered.

Seeing Helena without her right hand, along with the mutant 's attention not being on him was what allowed him to finally thaw out of his icy prison. Racing forward, he plunged his blade into its back, causing it to roar in pain as it tried to strike back. Leon would not relent, however. Gripping its shoulder, he pushed the blade further in, eventually emerging out the other side in a torrent of blood.

The B.O.W. flailed a little before shuddering and going still.

He panted in exhaustion as the creature slid off his blade, before looking at Helena, who was still nursing her stump of a hand.

Walking over, he did not say any words, just growled as he pushed her other hand away. She looked at him.

"D…Don't worry. It's… growing back. See?" she said as she showed Leon her hand. Sure enough, fibres of muscle were constricting and 'sewing' as the stump regenerated. Within minutes, her hand was back again, along with the three claws on the fingers and the stub.

Helena then testingly flexed her claws.

Leon shook his head.

"Didn't I say…wait. **Up. There?**" he growled.

She glared at him.

"How'd you...even get here so…fast?" he asked. She grumbled something under her breath.

"Vents," she muttered as calmly as she possibly could. It sounded more like a low growl. He shook his head and groaned in disappointment.

"Look here…if I wasn't here, you would be one…pretty…**ice sculpture right now**, so mind if you show a little…gratitude?" she quietly hissed.

He growled again, but said nothing and looked away. He then stood up and said "L-Let's go. We've…wasted enough t-time already."

There was a nasty look on her face.

"Go on ahead...**sir**," she hissed.

As he made his way to the door, Leon stopped. He turned to face Helena.

"Uh…thanks, Helena. Thanks for…saving my ass," he said sincerely.

There was now a somewhat thoughtful and quiet look on her face as she followed after him and chirped softly.

**NOTES: MRAZ  
>A mutation we observed today with one of our subjects, Mraz is a rather curious specimen. The subject has displayed the uncanny ability to produce, control, and become 'ice'. Of course, the ice is not ice in the traditional sense, but is in fact colonies of C-Virus that have undergone a unique reaction and have crystallized. Upon exposure to open heat, this 'ice' form of C-Virus immediately sublimates into the gaseous form of the virus. Potentially, this means Mraz may serve as a more powerful land-based spreader of the virus, perhaps as a substitute to the Lepotitsa mutation. However, there are several limitations to it, including the fact that the subject can only survive in sub-zero temperatures and will die immediately should it be exposed to anything close to room temperature. Nevertheless, the subject may serve well in combat, as Mraz has displayed the ability to cultivate and spread 'ice' around its point of origin, almost like a form of terraforming. It possesses the ability to use 'ice' as an attack, and can transform itself into a swarm of crystallized virus particles and reform elsewhere. Should Mraz's ice particles enter a human body, the crystal will liquefy and turn the human into a J'avo within minutes. The subject should be considered a viable, though dangerous combat B.O.W, provided a freezer transporter can be provided.<strong>

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><p><em>Please rate and review. Meaningful critique and exposure of problems are appreciated :)<em>


	5. Chapter 5

They passed through the door without any incidence, leaving the corpse of the ice B.O.W behind. The plan now was simple—just...get out of the apartment, honestly. They had no idea where to go.

From the looks of it, the rest of this miserable little building wasn't very well-maintained. The air was dry and musty. Plaster hung off the concrete walls, the pipework exposed in some places, and at some points the rusty piping seemed endless. Steam then poured out of those pipes, and their ears picked up this constant groaning sound in the distance, as if the apartment itself was sickly. And according to Helena, the vents had not been maintained in a long time- dust was collecting in them due to the un-oiled and inefficient fans, the metal was always creaking in protest to her presence, and there were many rat corpses in them, for some reason.

Along the way, they passed by an old security camera. Moments later, klaxons sounded as panicky voices shouted in Cantonese and a small group of masked men with guns appeared around the corner. They seemed to assess Leon as the larger threat, seeing as they opened fire on him first.

Though the assault rifle rounds and relatively long-range buckshot definitely hurt, it wasn't too bad. He quickly charged and rammed into one of them, sending him through a window and plunging to his death, screaming as he went. Another one made the foolish mistake of trying to sneak up on him, only to be interrupted as Leon used a full-circle low-sweep kick, the strength of which tore off the J'avo's legs. He fell screaming in pain before a spider-like body erupted from the waist down, and he started to skitter away from him, his upside-down face still fixated on Leon as he went.

Thus, he was oblivious to the second Bio-Organic Weapon who stood in his way, and let out a cry of surprise when he was kicked very hard in the side, sending him flying. It was not as strong as Leon's kick, but it had the added power of sharp talons, discounting the large slashing claw on her second toe.

As he groaned in pain, he then went into spasms when Helena growled and ran the long claws on her hand through his neck. He gurgled as he choked on his own blood before going still, and disintegrating.

The other two J'avo had seen the whole thing unfold, and gaped in horror before the one on the right screamed as a bony blade came out his torso. He collapsed to the floor and watched as Leon withdrew his wrist blade and stomped his face in.

The last J'avo looked from Leon to Helena before dropping his combat shotgun and running for his life, screaming colourful Cantonese insults along the way.

The two looked at each other, amazed at how fast everything went down before shrugging and moving on.

Aside from those few panicked J'avo, their route was relatively quiet.

* * *

><p>Eventually, they came to what seemed to be a security booth of some kind. It overlooked a large chamber, evidently the main lobby of the complex. The guard was dead, slumped on the table with a bullet wound on the back of his head. Helena felt an urge to feed herself, to gorge herself on the corpse, but pushed it to the back of the head. She had already...fed earlier, after all.<p>

Far more important was that, unlikely as it may be, valuable data _may_ be gleamed from the video records.

Also, she had noted the vent opening in the ceiling.

"Helena...check...this out," Leon urged as he looked at the computer. She leaned in for a closer look.

It was a looping silent video feed that seemed to display the large chamber the room overlooked. According to the numbers on the video, it only started recording around fifteen minutes ago. Around the seven-minute mark, a young Chinese woman who barely looked out of her teens limped out of the main door. She looked terrible; her short hair was matted with blood, several tears in her striped tank top, and her skin was stained with dirt and bloodstains. She groaned as she grasped her shoulder for some reason, and as she came into the middle of the room she paused. She then suddenly started screaming before flames burst out of her body, followed by horror on her face as slimy residue poured out her skin. She flailed around, apparently trying to wipe off the slime, before it hardened and she became frozen in a solid chrysalis.

Looking past the window, she saw the same chrysalis, still standing in the middle of the room until the poor girl came out as God-knows-what.

"I'm gonna go...c-check...check it out," she told Leon as she looked up.

"What? Helena, don't-" he was too late, as Helena had already leapt up through the open ceiling vent and disappeared through it.

"**Hell,**" he said to himself before growling like a monster.

* * *

><p>Helena darted forward on all fours at high speed, marvelling at just how fast she was when traversing the vents. Her agility had been enhanced tenfold, and despite her large size, was surprisingly nimble and could fit into the vents just fine. Her body and leg structure also allowed her to move about on four limbs in the vent's tight spaces with surprising ease. If nothing else, it seemed she was really, really fast if she travelled on her arms and legs both.<p>

The thought of her moving in such an animalistic way unnerved her, and she decided it would probably be best if she only reserved that position for when she was vent-crawling.

Seeing a grating up ahead, she went over to it and smashed it down with her hand, before letting her tail hang down, followed by the rest of her swiftly dropping into the large room. The landing was soft, and had little impact to it. As she got up from her graceful landing, she turned around and saw Leon looking at her from the overhead booth.

She tried her best to smile and waved her claws at him, before turning her attention behind her, looking at the girl's chrysalis. Her face was that of pure terror as she stared at her hands before she became completely engulfed by the slime.

But she knew that she would still be the same person when she hatched. She and Leon were proof of that, well, mostly. And she would damn well make sure this girl didn't senselessly die like Deborah did after she was provoked by..._Ada_.

Her mind seethed with fury at the thought of that woman, but she put it behind for now.

There was loud banging behind her, and she turned to see that Leon was not at the booth anymore. Instead, she could see his face at the window of a door that had been bolted shut from the other side. With his face mutated as it was, she couldn't tell if he was annoyed or not. What facial expressions he had were subtle and difficult to see, though she was unaware it also applied to her.

She had started making her way to the door to unlock it when it was blown off his hinges. She stared as she saw Leon's clenched fist before he casually( well, as casually as he could look) walked into the room.

Oh yeah, this time she could see an arrogant-looking smirk on his face, his mandibles parted and slightly leaning back, as if he had expected her to be surprised by that. Actually, she was, but she didn't show it.

That smug look was wiped when they both heard a loud crack behind her.

Looking worriedly behind her, she watched as the crack in the shell split further, and the large sac expanded. Behind her, Leon stiffened, ready for anything. His mandibles parted and started rubbing together, clicking out of anxiety. Helena's large right claw started tapping the ground.

The sac seemed to be expanding much larger than any of them. In fact, it looked like it was growing to a much, much larger size that the girl they saw on the camera records.

The straining sac finally broke, dark ooze splattering the area around it as a massive, slimy figure opened its jaws and gave a loud, hideous screech, exposing multiple fangs lined along its mouth. If anything, it definitely looked like a horrific monster now. It then looked around the place silently, giving an eerie air of an cold, calculating predatory gaze.

Cautiously, Helena stepped toward it, and slowly let her hand out.

"S-Shh...i-it's ok...it's ok..." she stammered, mentally slapping herself for her choice of dialogue, speaking to the teenage girl like a baby(well, technically she was, in the sense of 'baby B.O.W').

The figure looked in her direction.

Leon braced himself, ready for anything.

Then, unexpectedly, it gave a frightened screech before awkwardly tumbling on its side, revealing its long, serpentine body. It shrilled in apparent confusion as it the snake-like body thrashed about, evidently not used at all to having no limbs.

It...she was making a lot of noise.

Helena ran forward and tried to steady herself on the girl's now snake-like head. With a body like that, it would be impossible to tell she was once a human.

"Shh...shh...calm down, please, calm down," she pleaded, not willing to be forced to kill a confused girl because she had assumed they were threats. "Shh...don't worry, I'm here, I'm...j-just like you, it's ok, you're safe, shhh...that's right, I'm...here and it's safe, we're...not gonna hurt...you, shh...".

The girl seemed to calm down as her thrashings became less frantic and she looked at Helena( well, at least face her direction—there were no visible eyes on her, perhaps they were under the skin?) before uttering a confused shrill. She stared at Helena for several seconds before making a strange, strangling noise in her throat multiple times before again screeching in confusion, though it faded quickly and she whimpered sadly before opening her jaws wide. Helena tensed up, but then realized the girl wanted to show her throat for some reason.

It struck her.

"You...can't talk," she noted.

She didn't seem to understand the language, but knew what she meant and chirped sadly at her.

Suddenly, her neck rose up, as though she had something important to say before making choked sounds again. She stared into Helena for a long time.

Helena chirped questioningly back at her. The girl then motioned her head in a direction several times, as though imploring them to follow her.

Helena nodded.

"I think...she want us to, to follow her," she said to Leon as he tensed down and came up. The girl screeched when she saw his intimidating appearance and backed down, but then looked between the two of them for several seconds before relaxing.

"Well then? Lead the...way," Leon said to her. She seemed to assume he asked to do just that, as she nodded a few times before moving her long, massive body forward-

And falling down.

She then turned and looked at the length of her body before chirping sadly and tried to stretch herself out again, only to collapse. It looked like she was trying to learn how to...move herself. Slither. Well, at least with her current method, she was able to move a few feet with each fall. Even if it looked absolutely pitiful to see her, a giant, ferocious-looking B.O.W in such a miserable state.

"Easy there, girl. Easy..." Helena encouraged as she gently moved her body along. How did snakes slither? Did they move like caterpillars?

Needless to say, after a few minutes of awkwardness, she was able to at least get a hang of the rhythmic pattern needed to move herself. To the girl, it was honestly quite easy once she got the hang of the basics.

With a sense of accomplishment, the girl slithered away, leading them to...somewhere, while Leon and Helena followed behind. Leon had no trouble at all, but Helena was still a _bit _awkward in her steps herself, though it wasn't quite as visibly shaky as before.

They followed the girl to what seemed to be a concrete manhole. She then stopped and looked at the block of concrete set into the ground, before looking back.

Leon nodded before reaching and grabbing the black handles before heaving as he lifted them up. The girl hissed in apparent thanks before slithering down.

"Go on," he told Helena, who nodded too before leaping down into filthy sewage water. The stench was far worse than the one in Tall Oaks, and her amplified sense of smell only worsened the matter.

Suddenly, there was gunfire from above. Several human voices yelled in both English and Cantonese, and fear rose in her chest.

"Leon!" she screeched. Leon looked down at her, and his expression hardened before he closed the sewer.

He never said a word, but she understood what he meant.

_I'll catch up with you later._

She shook herself off as the girl came to her side, hissing in a strangely worried way. She looked at him before she made up her mind. Her tail slapped the water several times.

"C'mon. Let's go," she said before walking off.

#####################################################################################

**Leon: **Hunnigan, I've found an egg!

**Hunnigan: **You've found a what, Leon?

**Leon: **An egg, Hunnigan. A chicken egg that was just laid on the ground.

**Hunnigan: **Uh, ok, I don't see what relevance this has to the mission at hand, even if you sound very happy.

**Leon: **I am! What can I do with it, Hunnigan?

**Hunnigan: **Excuse me? What can you *do* with it?

**Leon: **Exactly. I can select it from the menu, and the only options I can see are 'use', 'equip', 'examine', and 'discard'...

**Hunnigan: **Use? As in eat it? Ewww, Leon, don't ever think about eating raw eggs! That's disgusting! I can understand the logic behind throwing it at a hostile to confuse him, but don't eat them, please?

**Leon: **But...it's an option...

**Hunnigan: **Leon, the consumption of raw eggs has been medically proven to cause severe food poisonings, thanks to the _Salmonella _bacterium. Effects include stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and chills. It has also been proven that eating raw eggs can interfere with your absorption of the vitamin biotin, which can result in biotin deficiency. So, for the sake of the mission, do not attempt to eat raw eggs under any circumstances, especially if you want to maintain your composure in front of the President's daughter! Do you hear me?

**Leon: **...I hear ya...

#####################################################################################

_Leon's mandibles rub together and click when he gets agitated or excited. His second heart also beats faster, causing the area on the left side of his chest to faintly glow yellow. When Helena gets agitated or excited, she salivates profusely, and her slashing claw clicks and taps the ground. Other than that, rate and review, please :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Franco( a.k.a the very first J'avo Jake meets) is named after the very first character you meet in Dead Space 2, who unfortunately dies and turns into a monster mere seconds after his introduction. Poor guy.)_

* * *

><p>"Hey, hey man, wake up, we're almost here!"<p>

Kuan Ling yawned as he woke up from his quick nap. The British B.S.A.A soldier sitting opposite him shook his shoulder.

"We're there already?" he asked James, who smiled under his helmet and laughed.

"Gotcha, man! Hey, seriously though, wake up. We don't know when we'll run into trouble. The second American team that just chased those hostiles to the wet market have gone silent, you know. Who knows when something blows up in front of the car and then only the two most handsome people survive?"

He snorted. Despite being a first-hand witness of the horrors of this new virus in Edonia, James hid it all beneath a cheery, optimistic and joke-loving exterior who sometimes didn't seem to be aware of the magnitude of the problem. Most of the team had yet to decide whether his personality was a mask to hide a much tougher, possibly traumatised side or if he really was that oblivious.

"Actually, I don't even know what our current objective is," the Japanese soldier who sat beside him said. His name was Kazuo, and he, along with some of the other soldiers in the APC including Ling and the Captain, was part of the Far East branch currently operating in Lanshiang to combat the bioterror attack. The situation was serious enough that teams from the North American branch and European branch, most of which were also veterans in the Edonia incident were also here.

It had also been confirmed that the legendary Chris Redfield, who had been missing ever since Edonia, was part of the American strike team. His presence alone was enough to provide a considerable morale boost to the soldiers.

"It's simple, is what it is. Secure this district, clear it of all hostiles, and then hold it secure. And if possible, apprehend Evin Lee , an individual with possible ties to Neo-Umbrella and was last seen in this area," their captain, Yang shouted before adding "Although she also has a twin sister, so it's our job to make sure we don't mix them up,"

They all nodded and agreed. Ling put his hand on his chin thoughtfully before realization dawned on him.

"_Twin sisters, huh? Dear God_…" he thought to himself in shock.

"You think Neo-Umbrella's really a direct descendant of the original Umbrella?" Scott asked. There were murmurs of 'yea' and 'no'.

"I don't think so. Umbrella Corp more or less dissolved ten years ago. And besides, where'd the funding come from?" James said.

"Well, wasn't Umbrella's CEO a really rich guy?" Damien said."If you really believe it's the old Umbrella, then you're outta your goddamn mind. Might as well believe in the continued survival of Albert Wesker," Pete said.

"H-Hey! Wesker's still alive, you know! He's actually been sighted in Lanshiang several times now!" James said.

"Haha, very funny. Wesker's dead already, just face it. I don't think it possible that there's a mad bio-terrorist who is dead already still somewhere out there and dodges bullets on reflex, punches through walls and likes to play with his food a lot. Also, he falls in love with just about anyone. I mean, come on, man," Erik added.

"But…Wesker has to still be alive…all the facts are consistent…"

"I doubt a dead man who already died once would still be alive," he said in a bored tone.

"How about some powerful new virus, then-"

"The 'consistent' fact is that he still looks just like a normal human and has no visible genetic augmentations of any type," Damien said, remembering the rumors he heard about the secretive Kijuju report by Captain Chris Redfield.

James looked stunned before he pouted and crossed his arms like a spoiled and angry brat. He muttered "Wesker's still alive and you know it…" under his breath.

"Hey Ling, you got any stories to share?" Sophia, the French girl asked.

"Huh?"

"I've read your bio, you know. It said you were born and raised in Lanshiang before being involved in the Hong Kong incident when you went there to continue your studies and joining up with B.S.A.A shortly after that. Anything nice to say about Lanshiang, I mean, maybe we can tour it after this whole mess? Have a beer or two?"

He stared at her.

"I've got a story for you. My childhood home is being destroyed, none of my family are responding to my calls and messages, and people I love are dying left and right. This also happens to be the area where I used to live. That good enough a story for you?"

She looked deeply ashamed of herself before looking away. The rest of the team was silent for a moment.

"Although, something about those twin sisters are…..familiar," he said. The other soldiers perked up, intent on listening. He continued.

"When I was a boy, there used to be twins from the opposite apartment from over the street who came over all the time. They were orphans, you know, and if they weren't stealing from the marketplace in our block they were begging in the streets. Crossing the road was dangerous, so they learned to use the sewers to cross over." He chuckled. "None of the grown-ups ever found out about it. Only I did. Caught them one day playing ball in it,"

He smiled.

"They beat me up, tied me to a post, threatened to do stuff to me because I've discovered their hideout and where they've been keeping the loot they stole, but somehow we became friends instead. Hell, I've forgotten exactly how that happened. After that, I used to sneak down there and play with them all the time. Hide-and-seek, stuff like that. I would always lose, because they've got the sewers all memorized out, and in case you don't know, it's a goddamn maze down there,"

"And then, I started helping them out. Stuff I didn't need, I gave to them. Clothes, toys, food, you name it. Would just tell my family I was gonna throw it out, then I'll get down to the sewers and hand it to them. I would hoard my pocket money then split it up with them. Eventually, they got enough money to go to school. One of them. The other decided to look for honest work."

He then sighed.

"Evin decided to work, while her sister Sara went for education. But I don't know any other details after that, because my parents sent me to international school in Hong Kong, when the T-Virus outbreak there occurred. I survived and decided to dedicate my life to fighting bio-terrorism and honestly, I haven't gotten in touch with them a long time. Busy schedule. I…miss them, and I hope to God this Neo-Umbrella Evin is not the Evin I knew," he finished his story.

A few moments passed before James said "I feel for you, Ling. I know that busy feeling too. I hope everyone you know's ok. We all have loved ones, do we?". He then patted Ling reassuringly on the back.

The others whole-heartedly agreed before the driver shouted "Brace yourselves!"

That was what they heard before the APC shook and swerved to the side. There was a thunderous crash before James blacked out.

* * *

><p>When he came to, he could see only fire.<p>

_Huh…what's happening…_

His vision faded and came back repeatedly as he felt himself being dragged away from the wreckage of the APC. He heard gunfire, saw several soldiers…some alive, some dead…

Reality began to blur together with dream, and soon the images alternated between this and his memories...

_Go! Go! Go!  
>So these are the new B.O.W.s, then? God, are they ugly...<br>So, wait, are these J'avo rebels who turned themselves into these things to fight the government, or are they something like the Majini, just tools to be used by a leader?_

Ah, that was when they were dropped off...

_What the hell is it saying?!  
>Well, its hands are in the air and its shouting something at us but its not attacking...What? What?!<br>Hey! What'd you shoot him for?!  
>Him? Don't you mean it?<br>I think he was trying to surrender...  
>Since when did viral mutants ever get the concept of surrender?<br>Alright, alright...  
>No! Elliot!<br>We got a sniper!_

Elliot...his best friend, used as bait...may he rest in peace.

_Did you hear that? The bird-whistle thing the J'avo do...  
><em>_Hey! We've got a kid here!  
><em>_A child soldier?  
><em>_Get him in...hey, watch out!  
><em>_He's got a syringe!  
><em>_Oh God...we...we murdered a kid...  
><em>_Is that...the C-Virus?!_

Jesus...that was a bad, bad memory...

Just then, he felt a sharp pain as someone jabbed a syringe into his chest. He felt energy come back to him from the synthetic adrenaline, and he shook himself awake.

"What the bloody hell!" was the first thing he said aloud as he came to. Everywhere he looked was chaos. The men he who were with him were now fighting a rather large group of J'avo, the APC was upturned amidst the wreckage of several other vehicles. He turned to his savior, who turned out to be Sophia.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said to her, shamelessly flirting with her at the wrong time. To him at least, she was still an untarnished and shining example of beauty, especially with the blazing fire in the background. He couldn't help but smile dreamily as he was pulled up.

There was an angry and flustered look on her face before she shushed him and helped him to his feet.

"C'mon, c'mon, we gotta go!" someone he recognized as Yang, yelled. The remaining B.S.A.A troopers assembled near him. He was under a wrecked car, and had to shout over the gunfire.

"There's too many hostiles! I've radioed HQ and they're gonna send reinforcements, but until then, we need to find shelter! Somewhere safe!"

Ling looked over to an apartment building close by.

"That's where I used to live," he said as he pointed to it.

"Ling, now's not-" Sophia started to say, but James continued.

"I say we go in there!"

Yang looked at it and nodded.

"Alright, you heard him! Let's hole ourselves in!" he commanded. Ducking under the gunfire, the trail of soldiers got to the doors. Ling and Yang nodded before kicking them open together.

A humanoid monstrousity was standing over one of the corridors branching off the large lobby. Ling recognized it as the entrance to the sewers.

"How did…" he started to say when voices came from below the hole. The B.O.W standing there turned to look at them, it's deformed and mutated face contorting into a snarl before looking back and slamming the concrete block close.

Was it made of concrete? He remembered it being fairly easy to move and close. When did it turn into concrete?

"Chrysalid mutation. Oh God," James said in a rare non-serious voice as he came in and saw the B.O.W as it stepped forward. It looked somewhat like a T-Virus Tyrant, its body covered in cracked and bony plated armor with patches of exposed flesh here and there, what skin it had left pale and stretchy, sharpened ribs sticking out its chest, and its face horribly scarred and cancerous. Its yellow eyes narrowed as the lower jaw split into two mandibles and the B.O.W roared very loudly at them.

For some reason, it also had dark blonde hair on its head.

"Open fire!" Yang yelled. Everyone raised their guns and shot at the monster.

It roared again as it charged them, arriving at their position in the blink of an eye. It then backhanded Damien, who was knocked out instantly by the powerful blow. Next came an open palm strike aimed directly at Erik, who was sent flying and hit a wall before falling unconscious.

It then punched Yang in the gut, the Captain gasping and gurgling before falling to his knees, then slumping to the ground.

James noted how the B.O.W's attacks were almost like soft pushes, how it didn't seem to utilize much force. Like it was deliberately limiting the use of its own strength.

Well, it was made known to them in their briefings that unlike creatures spawned from other strains of viruses, all C-Virus B.O.W.s had, for all intents and purposes, a human level of intelligence and sentience. If so, that meant this particular B.O.W was no different, it had a plan up its sleeve or something…

Or was it under orders from Neo-Umbrella to incapacitate them so they could be used as human test subjects?

"Shit!" James exclaimed when he realized his daydreaming in the middle of combat may have cost him his life. It was standing in front of him, and grabbed him by the collar before lifting him up to eye-level. He squinted as he tried to look away from the mutant's yellow eyes. And that _smell..._

Where the hell was Sophia and Kuan Ling?!

Just then, a female voice let out a fierce battle cry and leapt on the B.O.W's back. It merely gave a grunt of annoyance as it flailed around, releasing James from its grip and trying to get the girl hanging onto it off.

Successfully grabbing her by the uniform and throwing her away like a pest, it failed to see the Chinese soldier with the SPAS-12 shotgun creeping up on it. It turned around to receive a load of buckshot to the chest at close range.

It cried out in surprise as it stumbled back, some of the plate armor blasted off and exposing the raw flesh underneath. It clutched the vulnerable area before glaring at Ling, who responded by pumping the shotgun and shooting again.

It roared as the force of the blast toppled it backwards, and as it got back up, seemingly only set back a little, the trio saw the exposed, glowing yellow heart beating on the now-bare left side of its chest, right next to a set of knife-sharp ribs.

James didn't waste any time; he raced forward, drawing out his machete, and stabbed it into the heart.

"Eat that, you son of a bitch!"

It was apparently stunned by the attack, as it took several dazed steps back before slowly pulling out the machete and staring at it. It then glared at them, the mandibles clicking like an insect.

"Uh…I think we just made it angry," Ling observed.

"Nice one, Captain Obvious," Sophia responded.

The B.O.W roared and…

Turned tail and ran.

"Huh. Never thought they would actually retreat," James said. Just then, he felt the cold presence behind him. Turning around, he saw another tall mutant, icy blue and covered in ice-like crystals. It seemed to be generating an ice field around itself as it walked towards them and growled.

How far did this virus go? What was gonna come next? A giant dragon? A harbinger of the apocalypse? An angel monster?

"Great. This just got a whole lot better," he said as he readied his assault rifle.

* * *

><p>Leon groaned in pain as he fled from the B.S.A.A soldiers upon seeing the ice-B.O.W appear behind them and realizing it wasn't quite dead yet. While he may have tried his best to take them out non-lethally, seeing as trying to intimidate and scare them away with a roar didn't work, and certainly would have combated the ice mutant and make sure this time he <em>stayed <em>dead, if he did so it would just wear him out and leave him very vulnerable to the B.S.A.A trio. Still, something in him urged him to at least give them a chance of survival.

He could smell Helena from under the small sewer gratings along the corridor. All he needed to do now was follow the scent, and possibly find something to help the soldiers.

Opening the front doors, he was greeted by a large battalion of masked J'avo, all of whom looked surprised to see him emerge. They murmured amongst themselves, probably discussing what to do next.

As he looked on, he saw a flamethrower being held by one of them in the front ranks, probably a shock trooper or something of the like. Making a quick decision, he did what was possibly the stupidest thing he ever did.

He walked straight to the J'avo, who froze up in fear as he came up, and roughly yanked the flamethrower from his grip.

The other masked men simply stared as he casually walked back in to the lobby.

As he got back to where he was, he saw the three soldiers locked in battle with the ice B.O.W. Trying his best to make sure they didn't see him, he tossed the flamethrower from afar, seeing it land in the middle of the lobby.

His part was done. Now he just had to leave and catch up to Helena.

* * *

><p>"You're a tough bastard, aren't you?!" James yelled as he rolled out of the way when the B.O.W unleashed an ice shockwave on the ground. Having you feet frozen in the middle of a fight…well, it's not a good thing, ok?<p>

He got up just as he heard something heavy clank on the ground. Turning over, he saw a flamethrower.

A flamethrower. An honest-to-goodness gun that shoots fire.

_Awesome_.

"Watch your asses!" he told his teammates as he picked it up and aimed it at the B.O.W before pressing the trigger, not bothering to wonder who their savior was.

A jet of hot fire erupted from the nozzle, and the mutant _screamed_ as it tried to shield itself from the flames.

"Yeah, take it, taste it!" he taunted as he edged closer.

The creature's crystallized body seemed to be distorting, melting as it flailed in pain. Slimy bits of itself started dripping to the ground as it slowly disintegrated.

Moving very close to the mutant now, he concentrated the fire full-force on it. It screamed one last time before the whole outer body melted into a puddle of blue goo, revealing a skeleton than crumbled into a pile of broken bones.

"YEA! I'm the Lord of Fire, you can't beat me! Bring it on, bring it on!" he yelled.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, JAMES!" a rough voice ordered as James was spun around. Captain Yang was standing before him.

"C-Captain, sir! I-I wasn't aware you had recovered!" he stammered.

Instead of berating him further, the Captain smiled and put his hand on his shoulder.

"You did a good job, soldier. A good job,"

"S-Sir?" Sophie said.

"What is it?"

"There's something happening to the B.O.W's…remains."

Sure enough, as they turned around, they noticed that the liquefied corpse of the mutant was bubbling…subliming into a blue gas.

"Dear Lord…it's a virus cloud," James said.

"EVERYBODY GET OUT! GET THE WOUNDED OUT OF HERE! DON'T STAY IN THIS BUILDING ANY LONGER!" Yang yelled.

* * *

><p>Leon exited the building to see that most of the J'avo were now aiming their guns at him, though they didn't fire. They were probably unsure of his status as a threat.<p>

He had no time for this. He could smell Helena's distinctive scent, just had to follow it.

He ignored the J'avo as he paced across the empty road, sniffing out Helena from below. He could feel his armor regenerating, the vulnerable heart already protected, though it felt like the process was considerably slower than the regeneration of Helena's hand. Still, if there was one thing he learned, it was that he needed to watch himself around shotguns.

It was then that he felt a prickling pain in his leg. Looking down, he saw the steel-tip arrow embedded in his knee, though it didn't hurt that much.

Plucking it out, he wondered. Looking behind, he saw one J'avo, a small automatic crossbow in his shaky hands. He particularly stood out because the J'avo surrounding him had distanced themselves from him. He most likely discharged the bolt by accident.

He really didn't need a fight now, but he needed to tell these guys to back off. Opening his jaws and mandibles, he roared loudly at them.

Apparently, that was the trigger they needed, seeing as a Jeep suddenly started up and charged full-speed at him.

He could only gape in surprise before he was hit, taking the full force of the blow. He was sent crashing through a blocked window before smashing into a wall, his vision going dark as he struggled to get back up.

There was shouting and gunfire outside, but as Leon came to he saw a very interesting sight.

Four masked J'avo were sitting around a table, illuminated only by a single flickering light bulb. It appeared they had bolted and shut the window and door themselves, so that no one else could catch them with what they were doing. There were many tiles on the table, with numbers, symbols and Chinese characters on them.

Mahjong. _Mahjong_. Of all the things that could happen, he just had to crash a presumably secret game of mahjong being plated by bio-terrorists.

They stared at him before looking out the window, seeing the chaos unfurl before them. Then, at a rather jarring speed, they drew out firearms from under the table and stood up, pointing it at him and shouting loudly. A moment paused before Leon decided to roar at them.

Almost comically, they immediately fell silent, quite unlike the J'avo outside. Then, one by one, they're shaky, sweaty hands dropped their guns, and the men bolted out from the room through the same window he crashed through.

…well, that was that. For _once, _the roaring intimidation technique worked. Ignoring the battle going on outside between the J'avo, the B.S.A.A, and some newly turned zombies, he went down a corridor, and caught something familiar.

Helena's scent. It was going upstairs.

Time to go.

#####################################################################################

**Leon: **Hunnigan.

**Hunnigan: **Yes, Leon?

**Leon: **I ate a raw egg, and it restored my Health.

**Hunnigan: **Wait, you—what—you what?!

**Leon: **I ate a raw egg, and it recovered some of my Health. Good thing too, because I had run out of herbs and first-aid sprays.

**Hunnigan: **Oh, err, I see….ah, excuse me for a second!

**Leon: **?

**Hunnigan: **_You heard what he just said?_

**Unknown Operator 1: **_Yeah, I did. There's no way eating raw eggs would heal external injuries._

**Unknown Operator 2: **_Sounds pretty real, though. You think Agent Kennedy's a superhuman?_

**Unknown Operator 1: **_I heard Chris Redfield from the B.S.A.A and some other agents from the West African division could do such things too. Maybe they're all just hallucinating it?_

**Hunnigan: **_You mean like a placebo effect?_

**Unknown Operator 2: **_Beats me._

**Director Mikami: **_Everybody, stay focused! As long as it does him no harm and heals him, surely eating raw eggs will help the mission, yes?_

**Hunnigan: **_I-I guess so…ok, I'll be getting back to him. _Yes, Leon, eating raw eggs will recover your Health and you should do it in a pinch whenever you are wounded to heal yourself. Understood?

**Leon: **?

#####################################################################################

_Rate and review, please. Also, I'm so terribly sorry that it's not Chris' team, but don't worry, he'll show up soon enough!_


	7. Chapter 7

_For those of you who are interested, here's a link to impalallama's AU-__ infectedAU_

* * *

><p>Helena trudged along the sewers, careful not to step into rotten garbage or the rat corpses floating in the water. Water dripped constantly from the ceiling, and somewhere off in the distance was a strange, painful moaning sound. The whole place reeked of disrepair and abandonment. She wondered when was the last time anyone even came down for maintenance work. If there were occasional gratings on the ceiling of the sewer, then why couldn't anyone detect the smell?<p>

In front of her was the…girl, who periodically looked back to see if she was following. Helena was grateful for that, because these sewers were like a goddamn maze.

Exactly how it could be filled with so many pointless-looking twists, turns and dead ends was beyond her. In many ways, it was even worse than using air vents, because down here, there was absolutely no way to tell where you were going or where you were, just had to trust the judgement of someone she assumed knew her way.

The girl paused, and Helena leapt to the other side to see what was in front. Ah. Just one of those valve gates that needed two people to open.

"Uh…can you do it?" she asked, before mentally slapping herself again for asking if someone with no limbs can operate a hand crank.

The girl made a questioning look before grabbing onto the valve handle with her teeth.

Ah.

Holding the crank on her side, she nodded to the girl, and they both turned the wheels until the gate had opened completely.

They then went into the opened area, Helena allowing the girl to go first to guide her. They went through several twisted corridors and corners again until they emerged into a large open area.

There was a ladder at the end of the chamber, but it was locked behind a metal gate that neither of them had the strength to open. Instead, the girl motioned to the keyhole that was in it.

"Great. We need a key. You know where it is?"

She looked defeated for a moment before looking to a ladder in a tunnel that went deeper down. Unfortunately, there was a waterfall being formed by the pipe above it, flooding the tunnel.

And of course, the valve was missing from its place. Perfect. Just perfect.

As if the day couldn't go any better, they heard a squelching noise behind them, and turned to see some…_thing_ crawl out of a small hole and land with a plop. Several other pale-looking parts fell out, and to their horror, the parts started to assembling together, rising up to its full height to reveal itself as a vaguely human-shaped monster, with pale skin and contorting, flexible flesh. Its head lacked eyes, only a single mouth.

It moaned loudly at them before…twitching towards them with an unnerving gait.

Helena growled at it, sending a clear message for it to back down, or at least show a response. She knew that C-Virus mutations still retained their minds. This one must be no different.

It kept advancing towards them. She bared her teeth and snarled at it, sending another warning to the creature. It did not respond in any way, just kept coming.

Was it mindless?

She screeched loudly, insectoid legs erupting from her back in a shower of blood as she splayed her arms wide open, roaring and sending a very clear message of _back off._

The creature suddenly paused, grabbed its right hand and tore it off before tossing it at Helena.

She blinked before catching the detached limb in her hands. To her shock, it suddenly started twitching, noxious matter spewing out as the hand seemed to regenerate.

She dumped it on the ground before kicking it away, the talons shredding the hand.

To her amazement, the creature seemed to have regenerated the hand, and was uncomfortably close to her now and the girl now. Too close.

Lifting a leg and raising the slashing claw, she kicked it hard in the middle. The force of the attack sent it stumbling back and bending over backwards in an unnatural way, giving her the time to beckon to the the girl and head off to a corridor off to the side to search for the items needed to move through the gate. She nodded, understanding.

The creature had gotten back to its original position. Either its spine and body were amazingly flexible, or it didn't have a spine at all. She wasn't sure which one to pick, and she didn't care.

It was here that she made a simple mistake—running ahead of the girl.

She realized too late that the girl had screeched out in warning and that the wooden pallets that made up the floor in front of her were crumbling away.

She screeched as she felt nothing beneath her and started falling.

Landing roughly on her stomach, she groaned in pain as her insect legs retracted inside her. She then looked up as the girl looked down.

"Don't worry! I'm…ok!" she called. The girl screeched a few times before quickly slithering off. It was then that she saw the regenerating monster appear, though focused on chasing the girl down.

Oh, no. It wouldn't. They would _never_ get her. She had to get back up there fast.

She then concentrated on finding a way back up. However, much like the rest of the sewers, this floor was horribly labyrinthine, with multiple dead ends and blind corners.

Eventually, though, she came across a small room with a shelf in it. There was a valve wheel on the shelf. And an open vent in the wall, just large enough for her to fit in.

And a chrysalis right in front of it. How someone managed to get here first, she had no idea. She had to hurry before the girl got hurt.

She grabbed the valve and climbed up into the vent when she heard a crack. Looking over, she saw the shell of the chrysalis split open, the sac expanding.

She had no time for this, so she continued with what she was doing, darting forward at high speed and climbing up the ladder she came across at the end. It was during times like these that she realized just how slow she was when she had to crawl through the holes in Simmons' family catacombs as a human.

Emerging out, she slipped to the ground and immediately found a cold touch unravel around her. Screeching in panic, she fell to the ground as the regenerating B.O.W pinned her down. A slimy tentacle came out its mouth, and she tried in vain to kick the thing off.

It was then than something appeared above the mutant.

Staring with shock, she observed as the girl's head suddenly materialized into existence and clamped her jaws around the creature. Struggling in futility, she watched as the girl swung the monster around before throwing it into a wall.

She then looked at Helena and chirped happily. She returned a chirp and smiled the best she could.

"How'd you….do that, girl?"

She seemed to understand before she suddenly became invisible, her skin blending in with the background. However, Helena could still detect her easily. If the rippling of the air didn't give her away, the fact she could still smell her clearly did. Still, it may…come in useful sometime.

"G-Good then. I've got it," she said as she showed her the valve wheel she had obtained.

She then heard something squealing like a pig, and saw the creature struggling around as a pink tentacle-like structure came out its mid-section, trying to reconnect with the lower body.

She growled before walking over to it and kicking the structure hard, blood flicking across the wall as it squealed in a high-pitched tone, shuddering a little before stopping.

Just to make sure, though, she reared her head back and spat a glob of acid on it. It sizzled and starting eating through it as she said "C'mon, girl."

There was a clang, and she turned to see yet another flexible, regenerating monster slipping down somewhere from the ceiling, falling apart into multiple creatures along the way.

Great. How many of them were there?!

"Just…stay away from them, girl," she told her as she motioned for them to get away.

Arriving back at the main chamber with the moans of the creatures still behind them, she placed the valve where it belonged, and started turning it. It was slow, and creaky.

"Help me watch out for them, girl," she told the girl, who nodded and looked over at where they came from. The moanings were getting louder, and soon after a fully-formed monster came out the doorway.

"D-Don't worry. Almost there!" Helena assured, as the water level started getting lower. Finally, it stopped, allowing them to go down the tunnel.

It took her a moment to realize the girl had no possible way to go down the tunnel. She was currently watching the creature edge closer cautiously.

If there was no way for her to get down with her, then either she had to leave her to defend herself, kill the creature somehow now, or bring it down there with her.

Helena made up her choice. Running over, she grabbed the creature and hurled it into the tunnel. It screamed as it went down, though after the impact it was probably still alive. Turning over to the girl, she hissed "Stay here,"

The girl nodded in understanding.

She then went over and leapt down the tunnel herself, expecting to find the creature blocking her way to get to the keycard, wherever it was, but it wasn't there.

Oh, great. The moans were coming from everywhere. The creature had already managed to replicate itself when it was thrown down. She stared as a disembodied hand crawled out of a duct before picking it up and tearing it in half with her great strength, before it could start regenerating. Need to find a keycard now.

In line with the rest of the sewers, this floor was just as dungeon-like, and without the help of her cellphone's navigational system she was effectively blind here.

Who came up with the designs to this place?!

Eventually, though, she finally found what appeared to be an old office room, with a table fan on a desk, and a slow-moving ceiling fan. There was a keycard sitting there on the desk rather suspiciously.

"Finally…" she hissed to herself as she grabbed the card. Turning back, she saw the lower torso of a regenerator spawning out of a tiny hole in the ceiling.

She had no time for this. She sped past the creature, only to be interrupted as she felt something slimy grip around her second joint. She then yelped before kicking it away and watching it twich for a bit before shaking her head and moving on.

Arriving back at the tunnel, she climbed up the ladders to see the girl there, thankfully still in one piece. She made a happy sound upon seeing her, and she smiled the best she could in response before showing her the keycard. The girl chirped in confirmation.

"This…better work," she said before sliding the card into the slot. A second passed before the panel blinked green, and the door opened.

Finally.

Beyond the gate was a ladder that went really high up. She looked to the girl, who nodded and looked up.

Well, as it turned out, trying to climb ladders was being a real problem now. She spotted the solution a short distance away.

"Over here, girl," she said as she removed the grating of an air vent. It looked big enough for them both to fit in.

"Can you make it?" she asked. The girl testingly looked in before slithering into the shafts, then coming back out and nodding at her.

"Good. You…you follow me," she said before going in. She didn't need directions here, she just needed to know she was going up, in a straight line.

The vents weren't no different from the ones she had crawled in previously, so it was a little simple for her. Every now and then, she looked back to see if the girl was following her.

Eventually though, they made it. Helena pushed out the opening of a vent, and crawled out into a dimly lit corridor. This place looked even worse than the apartment she was in previously; bugs were crawling all over the place, rotten vegetables littered throughout, and smudges of dirt and trash everywhere.

The girl(she really should come up with a name for her) slithered out soon, and looked around before giving a happy chirp and nodding to Helena. Apparently, this was the place she wanted to show her.

She had no idea where Leon was. But she knew he could take care of himself, and he would catch up later.

"What are you…waiting for, girl? Go on," she urged. The girl nodded before going up a flight of stairs. Helena noted how the door across the stairs were bolted and shut, and her ears perked up chaotic sounds from both outside and inside the door, but she put it aside for now and followed the girl up the stairs.

* * *

><p>The young woman observed the American soldiers as they did their work. One by one, the cocoons of her comrades were incinerated before they could hatch, while one of the soldiers sat on a ledge above, apparently in deep thought.<p>

He would need to think deep, alright. The building complex up ahead was just _perfect_ for an ambush. _Perfect_. She was fully aware of what would happen if she did it, and she was fully prepared to do it for a better Lanshiang, the one envisioned by Miss Wong. It was too bad that her sister's human form had to be sacrificed, but if she survived encountering the trigger-happy soldiers, she would understand her actions, in time.

She grinned as she uncapped the syringe before jabbing it into her wrist and injecting the contents, giggling like a lunatic as she started to shudder. Minutes later, she burst into flames, her face still twisted in a smile as she was encased in a chrysalis, her human form broken down and reformed into something else entirely.

#####################################################################################

**Helena: **So, how'd you survive Raccoon City anyway?

**Leon: **A lot of luck. It…wasn't easy, definitely.

**Helena: **It wasn't easy, huh?

**Leon: **Trust me. It wasn't easy. The odds were always getting stacked against me. Ammunition was low, I had no partner most of the time, and you could never trust quiet rooms ever again. I...never could look at a one-way mirror the same way again.

**Helena: **That bad…

**Leon: **It gets a lot worse, though. I met a lot of people that day. I saw a lot of people. And I could never save all of them. It's something I'll always regret, seeing them but not being able to save them. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I had a chance to save them. And don't even get me started on all the pointless chess keys and inexplicable puzzles...in the middle of a police station, of all goddamn places...

**Helena: **What?

**Leon: **Oh, uh...it's nothing.

**Helena: **I…I see. Anyway, enough chit-chat. We gotta get to the cathedral as fast as we can. Hopefully they'll be no pointless riddles involving chess pieces and moon logic puzzles there...

**Leon: **Agreed. It's good to have you here, Helena.

**Helena: **…..

#####################################################################################

_Kinda sorry if this chapter's a little short and boring. The next chapter is gonna ramp things up. Also, rate and review, please._


	8. Chapter 8

_I listen to Mayday Guy and Rachael from Revelations, at night, with headphones, whenever I want to write the dialogue style for Leon and Helena 0_o. Sometimes I listen to Carl Stucky from Alan Wake, or the Shibito from Siren. They're all good ways to keep yourself up at night._

* * *

><p>"This…<strong>this<strong> was what you...wanted to show me?"

Helena had followed the girl to what appeared to be an apartment of her own, though she couldn't be sure. Although considerably cleaner than the rest of the complex, it was still messy, with junk and empty food boxes strewn everywhere. Dirty clothes and shoes were liberally thrown around the living room, as were tissue papers. In a way, it reminded her of Deborah's own bedroom back home, how much of an untidy mess it always was. Not that her own room was any different.

Still, the view can't be denied. There was a small balcony overlooking a river, with much of the city skyline in the distance, and flashy neon signs quite close to it. A Feng Shui fountain was on it, along with a few potted plants.

The girl's head was now motioning toward a room. She was too large to fit in, so only her head and some of her body were inside the apartment, the rest of it outside in the corridor and invisible. Helena slowly opened the door to find what appeared to be a study room.

Like the rest of the apartment, it was messy, but somehow managed to look and feel tidier than the rest of it. What was interesting, however, were the contents of the desk. She carefully searched through them to find several handwritten notes and records, which were all unfortunately in Chinese. Along with them were pictures of…

Ada Wong.

Derek C. Simmons.

…herself.

What…what was this girl up to?! Who is she?!

"D-Does this all…belong **to you?**" she growled as she turned and glared into the girl's face. She seemed to be terrified, shaking her head and whimpering.

Fuming, she continued searching through the room. More notes, more pictures of _**Ada**_, _**Simmons **_and herself, a few badges that looked strangely familiar, an official-looking letter with a company logo at the top. There was a map of Lanshiang, with several red circles and arrows all over the place, with pictures of various smuggled firearms in crates and groups of J'avo.

Another picture of **Simmons **had been posted next to a large circle in an apparent train station, with a large arrow pointing to his face and Chinese characters. Either he was a close contact, or he was a high-priority target of whoever owned this room.

She found a briefcase, and forced it open to find two small indentations in it, small, long, and thin.

It looked like it was made to store syringes. Both of them were missing. She looked on the floor and saw, among all the other junk, a used syringe, uncapped and empty. She picked it up and looked into it, her sharp vision detecting some traces of red liquid. She then sniffed it. It smelled somewhat familiar...

C-Virus.

She examined the shelf, more closely this time. Among other things, she picked out a picture in a frame, and slowly reached out to grab it.

Two teenage girls, younger than the woman she saw in the camera records earlier, were grinning into a camera, a park in the background. They were twins, both having the same short dark hair and identical facial features. They looked so…happy.

"Is…is this you?" she asked the girl as she showed her the picture. The girl didn't answer, and when Helena turned back, she saw that she was looking away from the picture, as if it reminded her of something awful.

Deciding not to push a presumably sensitive matter further, she moved to another room in the apartment. Compared to the study she just searched through, this one was much more normal-looking. Schoolbooks lined the shelf, with several empty noodle cups strewn about, and plush toys on the bed. There were several more pictures, but these were either of the twin sisters, or one sister taking a photo with several friends in school uniforms.

On the table was one of those books bought to be used as diaries. She flipped through it, finding Chinese texts written with several dates. It went back several months, and the last entry was on...June 30th. Today.

The handwriting was noticeably messier than the rest of the diary, and there were flecks of blood on the paper.

So...was this it? Was this all the girl wanted to show her? Because she somehow recognized her face from the photos?

Slowly walking out, the girl whimpered, as though in sadness. Helena ignored her, her attention now on the heavy footsteps outside the room.

Leon then appeared through the doorway, having obviously seen or smelled the partly invisible body and squeezing through it. He looked at Helena for a moment before asking "What is ...this?"

Helena motioned to the girl, who was still silent, and said "Her place, I...t-think,"

Without saying a word, Leon continued in and looked through the room. Neither Helena nor the girl said anything.

Instead, Helena suddenly got a...strange instinct. She felt as though she had just smelled something vaguely familiar outside the balcony.

"S-Stay here," she told the girl, who whimpered and backed down. Helena then went out the balcony, feeling the cool air and tasting the wind. There were so many different smells, rotten flesh, gunpowder, human scents, infected scents. She heard gunfire and screaming, some of which sounded very close, as well as the distinct crack of a sniper rifle somewhere.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, thinking about all that happened tonight and yesterday. To a lesser will, it would have crushed them. Being forced to assist in the assassination of the President, forced to partner up with someone she barely knew, forced to watch as innocents were slaughtered, forced to see as they unwittingly unleashed a monster onto hopeful survivors, forced to kill her little sister in self-defense when she lashed back after being attacked first...

And then get framed by the smug and evil bastard who did this, then fly to China with the aforementioned partner to get their vengeance and possibly clear his name, then get... infected with the same thing her sister was infected with, transformed into a monstrous bio-weapon, then realize the infected did not lose their minds and her sister's death may have been in vain...

It was a true wonder she had yet to go insane.

As she opened her eyes, she saw something strange. There was a sudden streak of red, and then just like that, it was gone. She blinked a few times before she saw it and reacted.

"**ADA!**"

And with that, she leapt off the balcony, much to the watching girl's surprise.

* * *

><p>Leon had heard Helena screech something loud in an agitated fashion, and he came out to see the girl gazing at the balcony, her massive jaws agape. There was no Helena there, only the curtains fluttering with the wind.<p>

"W...W-What?!" he said to himself. He moved to the balcony before looking down, where he saw something...something he didn't like very much.

"Oh no," he said simply. Turning over to the girl, he said "You...s-stay here. It's safer. I'm going...out,"

* * *

><p>Ada Wong looked calm as always as she landed gracefully on the platform. It had been rather easy, saving the son of her former employer Albert Wesker and daughter of her would-be murderers Annette and William Birkin, considering how...challenging it was for her to finally get rid of that irksome chainsaw brute on the train tracks.<p>

Still, it was bad manners to not clean up your mess, and so she saw to it that the brute was finished off. Providing sniper cover for the two and rescuing Sherry was honestly just a little side-effect of trying to maintain her spotless record. Oh well, the warm and fuzzy feeling was definitely a nice, appreciated bonus.

For one more time, she looked through the scope of her rifle at the two as they exited the doors to meet Simmons. Sherry looked rather depressed, but hardened as the same time, while Jake had an expression of quiet anger and urgency. For a moment, she wondered why that was until she brushed it off. It didn't matter to her mission, after all.

She found herself wondering where Leon was. She was absolutely sure it was him at the controls of that crashing plane, and even if it blew up, she was sure he would survive, and they would meet again. He was always a lucky man, Leon. She _knew _he would make it to the end of this.

And besides, he had that feisty new lady friend with him. Yes, she was too emotional and overreactive, like when she hesitated to shoot her long-gone sister, but she would keep Leon alive, that much she was sure of.

Just then, there was a monstrous screech from somewhere above her that sounded somewhat like her name. Huh. Wasn't that creepy. Probably just a coincidence, though.

She sighed, feeling tired of all these B.O.W.s throwing themselves her way as she looked upwards. Sure enough, there was a distinctive shape in the night sky, the pale green coloration standing out against the dark background. It seemed to be gliding through the air, and she looked through the rifle's scope to confirm it.

Ah, there it was. The feminine B.O.W was gliding towards her, it's feathered arms outstretched to catch the wind, a long bird-like tail following behind. Ooh, or did it look more like a lizard tail with feathers?

It wasn't important. She pointed the crosshairs at its chest and fired.

The creature screeched in surprise as Ada examined her work through the scope. Looks like the wind was strong up there, and the piercing bullet got it in the arm/wing feathers instead. Ah well, what can you do?

The female B.O.W plunged through the air, screeching rather loudly as it lost its balance and fell into the water with a splash. Bubbles rose up from the spot where it fell.

Ada smiled. Fast and easy, the way she liked it. Still, from what she had seen of the dear chainsaw brute, C-Virus B.O.W.s did not go down easy. It would probably take more than just water to kill that thing, so she better get away while she can. She had a little doppelgänger problem to take care of, after all.

She had turned away and readied her grapple gun before going down to the docks. It would be easy from here, just get on the flashy speedboat she had seen earlier and head through the canals, then get to wherever the hell her doppelgänger went, the military port.

As she prepared to get on the boat, however, the water beneath it rippled violently, and the monster erupted from the surface, knocking away the boat while lunging directly for her.

Ada leapt back while sighing a second time. This was gonna be troublesome. If it came down to it, she would find another mode of transport that did not involve random monster encounters.

As she loaded her crossbow, the B.O.W roared at her, spittle flying out its mouth. Ugh, was it drooling now? And was the drool in question acidic, seeing as it sizzled upon touching the ground? Disgusting. She thought back to her earlier statement: "_Why is it that nothing stays dead anymore?!"_

"**ADA!**" it screeched in a distorted voice.

She blinked, startled by the fact that the thing really did just speak her name, but the surprise quickly faded and she smiled at it.

"Good girl. You know my name, so what?" she taunted.

The monster roared and charged.

* * *

><p>Helena sprinted at Ada before slashing at her with her claws, the woman smiling as she dodged to the side. She then growled before lunging forward with her jaws, ready to bite down on her hated target, half-insane with rage. Ada saw an opportunity; she ducked the attack before punching Helena hard in the side.<p>

Despite her fragile appearance, the human woman had a surprising amount of strength, and Helena stumbled back, stunned for a moment. Ada then began her own series of attacks- she initiated a beatdown on Helena with several repeated punches, all of which knocked the wind out of her and causing her to stumble back even more, eventually culminating with a swinging kick to the face. Helena cried in pain as she was knocked to the ground. Those high heels weren't just for show-they did some really painful damage there.

Ada smirked as Helena got back to her feet, a mixture of acid and blood dribbling from her mouth. She wiped it away before facing Ada, a glare on her face, her sharp teeth exposed. She then roared before charging her again.

She slashed at her again and again, but each time Ada dodged and ducked her attacks, none of them connecting with her. At one point, she grabbed Helena's outstretched arm before pulling out a knife with her other free hand, and then promptly stabbing it into her chest. Helena cried out in pain as Ada let go of her, backing off with a smile on her face as the mutated woman pulled the blade out. She then tried slashing at Ada repeatedly with the knife, but her motions were awkward, due to the fact she wasn't used to holding things with her three claws yet.

Ada smirked before kicking the knife out of her claws, the blade falling into the water. Helena growled before continuing her onslaught.

She tried to slash down on her with her foot before kicking her, but Ada dodged them both again before launching her fist towards her neck. This time, though, Helena anticipated it, and swung around, her tail and the blade on it cutting through the air. Ada looked a little panicked for a moment, but it disappeared as she weaved downwards with her face looking up, the blade missing her by mere inches, having dodged the attack like she was water.

Helena turned around when she didn't feel her attack connect, only to be suddenly peppered by bullets. She groaned in annoyance as the submachine gun rounds from the Mac-10 Ada had whipped out only caused minor wounds on her chitinous body, wounds that were quickly regenerated.

"Huh. Never expected them to work anyway. Oh well," she heard Ada calmly say as the clip ran dry. Although she had several more clips of .45 ACP ammo, she didn't bother to reload, as they had little effect on Helena anyway.

Helena roared, frustrated, before leaning her head back and spitting a jet of acid at her. Ada appeared unimpressed as she leaned her head to the side, the stream of sizzling, corrosive liquid flying past her and landing in the water. However, that was just the distraction she needed. She pounced on Ada, her claws spread out to slash her downwards.

However, again, Ada simply jumped back before saying "You really don't get it, do you? You can't catch me, you slow, ugly brute."

She took aim with the crossbow and fired, and Helena shrieked as she felt the intense pain in her chest. She looked down at the bolt sticking out below the left breast, growling before ripping it off, feeling the flesh already start regenerating. Ada smiled smugly as she loaded another bolt and fired.

This time, she dodged it, darting to the side, before beginning a flurry of claw swipes at Ada, who leapt back again and again calmly. Every attempted slash missed, but she did notice Ada was backing into the edge of the platform into the water.

As she came to the edge, Helena screeched and kicked with her talons, intending to push her into the water. Instead, Ada smiled at the move and grabbed her foot when it came up, before vaulting over her( stepping on her head too) and landing gracefully behind Helena. She turned back, shocked at how the woman had so calmly timed her move and leapt.

Ada smiled before purring, "I wish I had more time to play with you, but I have some urgent business to see to. Ta-ta. Bye-bye."

And with that, she took a sprint before pulling out her grapple gun, intending to find an alternate mode of transport.

Oh no. Oh **no she wasn't getting away!**

She ran after her and just as Ada pulled herself upwards, she leapt up and stretched her arm out.

Her claws landed on the top of her right calf, and as she went up the claws dragged along, blood spurting out as three long, bloody gashes, deep enough to reach the bone, opened in her leg.

Ada gasped in shock and pain as she fell from the air, the grapple gun falling out of her hands and landing next to her as she hit the platform right in front of Helena.

She looked up at her, nursing her wounds, as she gritted her teeth and said "Fine, if you want to play so bad, then _come get it!_"

Lying on the ground, she aimed the crossbow and fired while crawling backwards. Helena dodged to the side as she slowly walked closer, intending to _savor_ this moment. She dodged another bolt, then another, then another, until Ada was at her feet.

She then grabbed her by the neck and lifted up the struggling, helpless woman, her raw physical strength far greater than when she was human, sneering as she brought her close to her face to study her features. Ada's face noticeably soured as she sniffed Helena's 'distinct' stench.

"Just so you know, you _stink,_" she said in an act of defiance despite her precarious position.

"**Ada...caught you...**" she uttered as insectoid legs violently emerged from her back in a spray of blood.

There was a sudden, though brief, flash of surprise and recognition on Ada's face.

"Huh? Helena? Whatever happened to you?" she said in the almost mocking sing-song voice that was typical of her. She only sounded mildly surprised on her voice. Helena gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to tear her throat out here and now as she brought her closer.

"You...k-killed my **sister**...bet you...you didn't know that, did you...look at me. **LOOK AT ME!**" she shrieked, her yellow eyes piercing into Ada's own. Ada made a face as she stared into the reptilian slit pupils.

"I...**c-can think...for myself! **Deborah...probably **could**...too! You...you **shot her first**...let her defensive instincts kick in...and what did you do...you **FORCED US TO KILL HER! BECAUSE SHE WAS FIGHTING BACK!** " she screeched, her voice and sanity temporarily cracking as she relieved the painful memories, tears apparently flowing from her eyes. She then slammed Ada to the ground, the woman grunting in pain, but nothing else.

"You killed her...and now **I'M GONNA KILL YOU!**"

The spear-like appendages on her back leaned back, ready to stab down on Ada's face as Helena held her in place. Defiant to the end, Ada did not appear fearful at all, only calm and collected as she silently continued to assess her situation and the methods of solving it.

This only enraged Helena further. She shrieked before the limbs stabbed down.

However, just before they could destroy Ada's head, a large, heavy thing slammed her aside. Helena shrilled in surprise as her lighter and more fragile frame was thrown off, while Ada blinked once again in surprise.

She looked up to see another monstrous C-Virus abomination pinning down the struggling, mutated Helena. Her eyes continued glaring daggers at Ada as she shrieked incoherently like a wild animal, thrashing around as her insectoid legs stabbed into the other humanoid monster's sides, blood spurting out with each stab.

The other monster turned to look at her. The normally cool-head agent was then hit with a pang of shock as she took in the face and hair.

It was horribly mutated and deformed, yes, but she'd recognize that face anywhere. The dark blonde hair only served to hammer in the fact.

It was Leon. _Her _Leon. The Leon she had first met and seduced in Raccoon City, then met again and again in Spain and the Eastern Slav Republic, then again in Tall Oaks. Each time, he had clearly shown strong feelings for her, but she herself wasn't sure what she thought of him. She liked him as a competent agent, that much was true, but as for actual _love_...

No. This was not the time. She was a professional, and she had a job to do. She cleared her head, mentally read out the facts.

Both Leon and Helena were somehow infected.  
>They were a lost cause now. Leon, especially.<br>They were no longer human.  
>They no longer had any significance to her mission.<br>They are to be considered dangerous threats.  
>If it comes down to it, she <em>will <em>kill them.  
>She still had a doppelgänger problem to take care of.<p>

And with that, she limped to the speedboat which had come back to the dockside. A long trail of blood from her leg followed her as she groaned, stumbling onto the boat before starting the engines and going off.

Soon, she had disappeared, a mere dot on the horizon.

Helena had slowly stopped struggling, only staring as Ada made her escape.

Then, she turned at Leon, and screeched at him before resuming her thrashing.

"GET AWAY! YOU **LETHERGETAWAY! LETHERGETAWAY!**"

Leon grimaced as he resisted the burning pain in his sides, which slowly disappeared as the flesh regenerated.

"H-Helena...calm down, please..."

"She killed my sister...and you **LET...HER..GO!**" she wailed before slashing at his face. He yelped as three new pains opened across his face, letting go of the mutated woman as he stumbled back, grasping his face. He then looked back at her, the scars already starting to vanish.

"Helena..."

"**Leon...**"

Acidic saliva starting drooling to the ground as she took a battle stance, her claws spread out wide as the insectoid legs on her back withdrew themselves, hiding away her weak points.

"Helena...it wasn't supposed...t-to go like this-"

"SHUT **UP**! **SHE KILLED...D-DEBRA...AND YOU KNOW IT!**"

"**AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HUNT FOR SIMMONS!" **he roared, his pupils narrowing as the area on the left side of his chest faintly glowed yellow. "You've...lost sight of our g-goal here, Helena! **Simmons **comes first! He...was the one who started it all in the first place! **70,000 people! The PRESIDENT!**"

The following seconds were silent. The wind blew. Bits of trash and debris blew with it, as seconds passed, though it felt like hours.

Then, Helena growled. Leon braced himself.

"Y-You're wrong...I **haven't **lost sight, Leon...I came here...to help prove your innocence...and finish the people who did this...killed the president, 7-70,000 people...Deborah. Simmons...and **Ada**. No, Leon. I have not...l-lost sight of my goal,"

She then straightened up, before taking in a deep breath. That smell on the wind...

She would recognize that smell anywhere. That sickeningly sweet rose-scented cologne. The same smell she was forced to endure for nearly two days, when she was locked in a dark, dank cell with her sister.

And that scent was on the wind. She turned around, growled again.

"I...want **Simmons **dead." she stated bluntly, before she walking back. Leon stared a little, confused, before she looked back at him and said "I can smell him...on the wind. I recognize his scent...follow me,"

She then paused for a while before adding "And just so you know...Ada **isn't out of the water yet**,"

She looked up at the railway far above them. Their ears picked up the distinct sound of a rumbling, approaching train, as well a helicopter.

It was a long way up to climb. Helena dug her claws and insectoid limbs into the concrete anyway, as she started to climb up. Leon followed shortly thereafter, his strength and stamina allowing him to catch up with Helena's pace.

It wouldn't be long before the train passed by.

* * *

><p><em>January 5th-Ugh, what a way to start the year, with a new bunch of heavy hand-me-down books, and a stupid yet important final-year exam, too. If you ask me, there's more to life than just study, study, study. And its been an awful day for Evin, too. She came home early today, complaining about how the management's been really corrupt and lazy lately, and there's not a thing she can do about it. Way I hear it, things like that are happening all over the city. More and more rich people are taking control of the industries, and if the workers aren't overworked to hell like Sis, they're losing their jobs because its easier on the wallets of the elite to just fire any extras. She's been really struggling to keep her job, so we can continue paying for life and my studies. Sometimes I wish she would allow me to share the burden, too, but she wouldn't allow it. Well, what can you do, really? Hopefully this will all pass over soon.<em>

_February 12th-It...finally happened today. Evin came home really depressed, and when I asked her, she said she had finally been fired. She's lost her job, and with it, any means of supporting ourselves. She's planning to go look for another job tomorrow, but...damn. _

_February 26th-Our savings have been plummeting ever since Evin got fired. She's failed to find other companies to hire her. If it goes on like this, we'll be homeless by the middle of the year. And to top it off, I caught her drinking in her study room. Drinking! And there were several more bottles under her desk. I got so angry...I knocked the bottle out her hand, said how we needed to push on with life, not drink away our sorrows and waste money on them. But she was drunk, and she hit me. Hard. In the face. And then told me to get out. Jeez...and to think we're actually the lucky ones. Just take a look outside, and its the same; an increasing number of people sleeping on the roadside, drunk, whoring themselves out, killing each other for a scrap of food. It..really scares me to think we may also be meeting that fate soon._

_March 14th-There was a riot this morning. It was labelled on the news as a drunken disturbance, but I saw the thing. It was an organized protest, at first, with the people carrying signs and demanding reform. But then, the police threw gas at them. Somebody responded by throwing a brick, and then the whole thing erupted into chaos. Several people died. School was closed for a week. But then, at least Sis came home a little better today. She wasn't drunk, and she said she had managed to find herself a new job. Well, that's good, isn't it?_

_April 7th-There were several more protests over the month, some of which became violent. More and more people are getting fed up with the authorities and the city elite. However, there's also been several posters set up about a new company that's recruiting workers at the Quad Tower building. It's been really popular, and people said on the news that after they joined up, their life became much, much better. Of course, there's also rumors of many others who went in and never came out, and that the police and the elite have been paid to ignore that. Evin also disproved them; yea, that's right, she's finally got a stable job at the new company! And the pay is much greater than before, too! Who knows, we may actually pick ourselves back up!_

_May 15th-Ok, now there's something definitely wrong with the Quad Tower company. There's been talk of a revolution coming, one that will overthrow the elite, and that the company's actually a front for that revolution. While I do think change is needed, I don't think violence is the answer. Evin has been really secretive lately, too. She hides herself in her study for really long periods of time, and she always locks the door when she goes for work. And when I ask her about it, she gets really defensive and says it's for the 'greater good' or something. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think she's hiding something._

_June 30th-I...I did it. While Evin was away working, there was this big explosion off in the distance. It sounded like a bomb or something. Then there was gunfire, and screaming, and people shouting that the non-revolutionaries must die. Oh God...its really started. Revolution, civil war. I fear for my life. But then I remembered all the rumors, how the company was a front for them. So...I picked the lock to Sis' study. I was shocked she had hidden all that from me for months. The company really was a front for the revolutionaries. There was a picture of a woman who was their leader, and an American woman who had some importance to another American man who was a very high-priority target for them. And then there was all this talk and notes of weapon caches, vital areas, weaknesses in the city infrastructure, men with many eyes, genetic modification, bio-weapons...all this while, my twin sister was a collaborator for them, a high-ranking member, a starter of this meaningless violence... And then she came in...and she was furious. I had never been so afraid in my life, but I confronted her anyway, telling her all this was madness. She then snapped back that it was necessary, and how everyone needed to play a role in the war, or they would die. I finally said to her face she was mad and I would rather escape than die, but then as I tried to leave...she attacked me. She injected me with something. Oh no...she's gone away now, said I would understand in time, but I still don't believe it...I'm going to the old sewers, it'll be safer...I have to find help, any help. It's time to go._


	9. Chapter 9

_If human!Deborah had seen Helena fight Ada, she would probably go 'Stop it Helena, this isn't you!' Of course, Helena would just snarl and smack her out of the way. A simple combo of revenge and feral instinct overpowers everything else._

* * *

><p>The train was approaching fast. They could hear the rumbling come closer.<p>

Leon and Helena were grasping onto the sides of the rail, waiting like ambush predators. The train was due to arrive any moment now, and the plan was that in the split-second it passed by, they would need to immediately vault themselves onto it. It required insanely precise timing, and about a million things could go wrong, but they had to do it.

Leon trusted Helena. He believed her claim that yes, for some reason he could not comprehend, Simmons was on top of the train, alone, which was how his scent was carried on the wind and detected by Helena. He didn't bother to question how she knew his scent; he knew the answer.

For now, everything was silent save for the rumbling of the coming train. The atmosphere was so thick with tension, almost anything to break it would be welcomed. Leon was clicking his mandibles in anticipation, his second heart beating faster and causing the area around it to glow yellow, whilst Helena was salivating profusely, the acidic liquid flowing down the concrete as the large claw on her talons tapped the wall repeatedly.

Then, it came. The rumblings were coming much closer. Leon looked to Helena with his yellow eyes, nodded. Helena returned the nod. They were ready.

Nearly a second later, the train sped by.

In that moment, Leon jumped, vaulting himself over the wall and landing on the train with a loud smash. Helena similarly flipped through the air, landing more gracefully on the speeding vehicle, kneeling down with her hand on the train.

A moment too late, and they would have missed their opportunity.

They looked to each other, nodding before turning around to look at the opposite end of the train.

Sure enough, there was a figure there, apparently kneeling down in despair. Even from here, they could see his flapping white trench coat, the coat they had started to associate with him and him only. Helena growled as Leon moved forward first. She followed after that.

They were about halfway to him when he suddenly screamed, standing up before bursting into flames. The two mutated agents paused, staring as all his clothes save for his pants were burned off, before he knelt down again, panting like he had nearly drowned. Yet for some reason, there was no slime coming out his body; they had fully expected him to become a Chrysalid as they had. Instead, he still looked relatively normal for some reason.

Still, the fact he had combusted in itself was proof he was infected with the C-Virus. Which meant that, chrysalis or not, he must be considered a threat.

A moment paused before Helena looked at Leon, who nodded again. They moved closer.

Simmons seemed to notice them quickly, as he slowly turned his head around before standing up to his full height to meet the two, or rather, gaze up at them. It was laughable, really-both Leon and Helena were now taller and much stronger than Simmons ever was, and for all his political power he was more or less a pathetically weak human compared to these two mutated, highly lethal B.O.W.s.

And yet for some reason, he seemed only mildly surprised to see them, as if he had other, much larger problems to deal with and these two were mere annoyances.

"Agent...Kennedy, and Agent...Harper, I presume?" he said, his voice seemingly raspier than normal.

"**Simmons**..." Helena quietly hissed as Leon growled. As they got closer, they could now see that he looked horrific; several cracks were present all over his otherwise normal body, including across his face, and blood was seeping out of them.

"Heh...I take it that wretched woman has also infected you two with the virus earlier, somehow." he then chuckled, before adding "I wonder if it was before or after you met Agent Birkin and the Muller boy." Leon growled at the mention of Sherry, but otherwise did not act. Somehow, Sherry had made it to Simmons first. He hoped she was okay. That Jake kid, if he really was as strong as he claimed to be, better protect her, _or else._

"Not difficult to see why, but...how dare she do this to _me_?!" Simmons angrily yelled.

"...w-woman?" Leon asked.

"That traitor, Ada Wong! Don't you know that she's responsible for all this madness?! Who knows what else she's got in store? She's already done _this _to all of us, yet still you continue to chase _me_?!"

Leon growled like a feral beast as Simmons continued ranting, pointing out how Ada should have been their target. Personally, he did not believe Ada could be responsible for the current situation. He could not understand why she would do such a thing. Simmons was probably just looking for a scapegoat.

Helena growled as well, though for a different reason. For once- _for once- _she may actually believe Simmons. Simmons seemed to notice their reaction, and he smirked.

'What?! Is this all about the President? Is that it?! That's the only reason you're after me?! Do you know what would have happened had he disclosed the truth behind Raccoon City?! The United States would have lost all its authority, and the global political order would have collapsed! Believe it or not, I _saved _the world! I did what I had to do! President Benford was my friend for 30 years, do you think making the decision to assassinate him was an easy one?!"

Leon responded by roaring at him, not speaking at all. The mere notion of Simmons implying he truly was a friend of the President was enough to send him into a rage. Friends did not betray each other, no matter what.

"What are you trying to say, Agent Kennedy?" he asked, apparent amused. "That it was wrong to do that?! What else was I supposed to do, then? Everything I did, no matter how cruel, how horrific, I did for my country, and to maintain global peace, keep it from falling into chaos! His death, and the death of 77,000 civilians, it was all a necessary evil!"

This time, it was Helena's turn to screech at Simmons, her eyes burning with hatred at his lies as spittle flew out her mouth.

Simmons appeared to grin at her, before saying "Oh, and Agent Harper? You and your sister...are very much alike, am I right? I never got to see what she mutated into, but I do believe it does share some similarities to your mutations. Am I right?"

She screeched, before shrieking, "**Goddamn you, Simmons!**"

He merely laughed in an evil, yet defeated fashion.

"But then, you come for me anyway. It's ok. There's nothing for me to live for now anyway, my Family has already abandoned me. After all I did..._this _was how they repaid me." He made a grand gesture with his arms. "Abandoned me to die...come on, then. Come and finish it!"

And with that, he transformed. The two agents watched in shock and horror as the cracks across his body split open- wide. Muscles, bones and organs rapidly formed as he mutated, within seconds changing from a man into a four-legged, canine-like beast, black tendrils writhing across its body as it snapped its fangs at them, growling and roaring. He then leapt over them, coming to a stop behind the two before he charged.

"**Get down!**" Leon roared, the two of them ducking as Simmons sailed through the air again, his jaws wide open. Leon spun around just as Simmons also turned to face them. He was promptly met with a powerful fist punching down his head, bits of bone cracking and flaking off. Leon then continued with another punch, and another, before he extended his right blade and drove it forward, aiming for the middle of the head.

However, Simmons had dodged back, and roared before sending a powerful blow to Leon's side. Leon yelped as he pushed off the train, but before hitting the ground, was able to hang onto the side of the car. He roared repeatedly, calling for help.

Reasoning that he would not be able to make it back up without someone else's assistance, Simmons looked back, intending to confront and finish off Harper. She was gone, however, causing him to pause a while as he felt the train around him.

He then roared in pain as Helena jumped on him from behind, slashing at his armor the best she could as her insectoid limbs emerged, before stabbing down, causing major damage as large chunks of bone were punched through. It was getting difficult to hang on, though, and as Simmons thrashed about a bone spike impaled the yellow pustules on the joint of her left appendage.

Helena immediately felt the sharp pain go through her, followed by the rest of her body numbing as though she was stunned from her attack. Dizzy, Simmons was able to quickly throw her off, the limb severed in the process. She cried out at the massive jolt of pain as she crashed on the roof. Simmons, still recovering from her attack, slowly approached her.

Dazed and vulnerable, Helena nevertheless was able to gain enough strength to crawl over to the side of the passenger car. She then reached down and grasped Leon's arm, before heaving as she pulled him up, just as Simmons raised one arm to attack.

Reacting just in time, Leon roared as he stabbed at Simmons' unprotected underside, pushing the blade in deep before pulling it out, blood and bits of organ spewing out with it.

Simmons paused for a moment before roaring in pain, steam coming out as a sickly bone-crunching sound was heard. His body was disassembling, all the parts going back inside as a human body was reformed from the monster, the monstrous roar changing into the yell of a man. He then fell to his knees, panting as he rubbed his wounded abdomen.

Leon tried to help Helena up, but she pushed his hand away as she recovered and got up herself. They looked at him for a moment before Helena decided to jump down into the car through a hole in the roof, just past the now-human Simmons. Leon followed her, realizing it would be better if they did not fight on the highly dangerous environment called the roof of a speeding train.

"Damn you! Damn you both! I'll kill you with my **BARE HANDS**!" Simmons roared as Leon jumped in, hearing the now-distinct and nauseous sound of his body disassembling and reassembling just as the monstrous arm reached down, clawing around in thin air before going up.

The two of them stood close together, hearing Simmons stomp around above before another arm plunged downwards, ripping a hole in the roof as he felt around for them.

Helena looked from the arm to Leon, before pointing at it- her idea was to attack and sever his arm while it was down here. Leon shook his head, it was too risky a move. If anything went wrong, they would be grabbed and pulled upwards to a quick death.

The arm went up again as they heard Simmons roar in frustration. A few seconds later, half of his mutated form appeared on the side windows, smashing through the windows with his head before roaring at them.

Leon punched his upside-down head several times before Simmons backhanded him, sending him to the floor. With one arm, he then grabbed him by the legs and started slamming him around the interiors of the train like a rag-doll, while his other arm grabbed tried to grab at Helena, but found nothing instead. Unbeknownst to him, Helena had taken advantage of the distraction Leon provided and climbed onto the roof, where she did something that was probably positively humiliating to Simmons.

Extending all her insectoid limbs, including the severed one that had now regenerated, she stabbed him firmly in the area between his legs. Before ripping them out, then stabbing it again, and again, and again.

Understandably, down in the car, Simmons cried and wailed in pain as he felt the attacks. Flailing around, the bruised, battered Leon was accidentally brought just right next to him. His bone blade already extended, he then stabbed him straight in the middle of the head.

Pulling it out, Leon then proceeded to swing his blade over neck, decapitating Simmons, the stump spewing large amounts of blood as he went limp, the head rolling around on the floor. Above him, Helena watched as he went still, and wondered if Leon had successfully killed him.

For several long seconds, they panted in exhaustion as the fight appeared to be over.

Then, Simmons suddenly twitched, then he started convulsing as his headless body retracted itself from the carriage. Helena took a few cautious steps back as he quickly transformed back into his human form, battered and bleeding. He then collapsed, but a few moments later came back up. As he was seemingly vulnerable, Helena decided to finish him off now.

He then unexpectedly spun around and punched her smack in the jaw, causing her to see stars as she stumbled back a few steps before spinning around and falling to the ground. He was...very strong, even as a human.

"Agent Harper..." he said as he came closer. She then growled before swinging around, her powerful tail smacking him across his face, twisting it to the side as blood flew out his mouth. He slowly turned back at her before wiping his mouth and launching his fist again.

This time, she intercepted it, before rising to her full height and looking down at him- she was now nearly a head taller than he was, being nearly 7 feet tall. She remembered how she was cowering at his feet a mere four days ago.

She screeched and kicked him in the guts with her talons, causing a mere grunt of pain, before she lunged for his neck with her jaws. He then moved a little to the side, causing her to bite down on his shoulder instead. Still gripping on, she sank her teeth in deeper before ripping out a chunk of flesh, before spitting it away. Turning back, she was then met with a headbutt to her neck that caused her to stumbled back.

Simmons then began to punch her repeatedly at a very fast pace, leaving no room for counterattack. She was able to slash him across the face, but he retaliated with a powerful uppercut that sent her flying.

Landing a few feet away, she spat up some blood as she tried to stay awake. Those blows were very powerful.

Simmons closed in to finish her off, but paused when he heard the roar behind him. Turning around, he saw Leon, who had gotten up from below and was now challenging Simmons to a fight.

They both charged at the same time, but Leon was able to hit him first, with a powerful downwards blow, followed by another punch. Simmons then grabbed his arm, causing Leon to roar at him before kicking him hard. He then let out a grunt of pain as his grip on Leon's arm loosened, allowing Leon to grab him with both arms, before lifting him up into the air. He roared in triumph before slamming him down on the ground, before slamming his face against the wall that they were speeding by.

Simmons roared as his cheek was effectively flayed off bit by bit thanks to the friction, before Leon there's him back and stomped on his torso, pinning him down.

Throwing him off the train might have easy, but it would not guarantee his death. That was what they wanted.

With the man at his mercy, Leon didn't waste time. Grabbing his right arm and putting his foot on his torso, he pulled. A sickening snap was heard as the arm came loose, followed by Simmons' bloodcurdling scream as Leon ripped the arm off. Blood gushed out the stump as Leon used the arm itself as a weapon; slamming down on Simmons and punting him with it. The force was so powerful that over the next few hits, the arm was reduced to bloodied paste as the flesh was shredded, bone exposed with splattering sounds. The severed limb now useless, Leon threw it away.

Using his remaining left arm, Simmons suddenly reached out and grabbed the plate of armor on the left side of Leon's chest, before twisting and ripping it off.

Leon audibly gasped in pain as he was stunned for a moment, which allowed Simmons to get up and use his one arm to punch him in the exposed heart, with the glowing pustules surrounding it. This time, he roared in pain as he was knocked back, as that blow to his heart really hurt. Clenching his teeth, Simmons roared and punched him again, and again, in the glowing weak point, the force of the blows causing blood to spew out the heart.

"When is it that you are going to stop, Agent Kennedy?! What do you think will happen even if you manage to kill me?! Will you go back to the States?! Your own government would go on to capture you, study you, dissect you. And that's if you don't meet the B.S.A.A first, or get found by my Family. Face it, Kennedy. There is no future for you beyond this point! I am doing you a mercy by killing you! Me, on the other hand...I have many more friends besides my Family, anyways. Wealthy, powerful friends. Do you not know what would happen if they got hold of the word that I died?!" he taunted.

He then raised his fist to finish off Leon, but he was interrupted.

He screamed as a long blade suddenly protruded out his stomach, before pulling out, leaving a clear hole in him. Helena then screeched as she wrapped her arms around the struggling, screaming man from behind his shoulders, whilst she dug into his back with her talons, slashing them down and leaving gashes deep enough to expose the spine.

Seeing his chance, Leon got back into action, extending both of his arm blades before coming up before Simmons. His eyes were wide with fear.

"No! Stop it! What will you accomplish by killing me, Agents?! What will you accomplish?!"

His cries of mercy were ignored. Leon impaled him with both his blades, being careful not to touch Helena, before moving his arms in the opposite directions. And with that, Simmons was literally ripped apart, his already-weakened spine crumbling as the upper torso fell off from his legs, which spewed a shower of blood like a fountain. He continued screaming in pain as he felt around his own hanging entrails.

His eyes then turned to that of murderous rage as both his halves suddenly started to mutate.

"**GRAHHHH**!" he roared as he disassembled, the lower half transforming into the canine beast as his upper half became a writhing mass of bone, armor and muscle, his face sticking out at the top. His intestines seemed to morph into tentacles that conjoined themselves to the four-legged body of what was his lower torso.

A second train was speeding by in the opposite direction, and with a quick, affirmative nod to Helena, Leon jumped off just as it sped past, Helena following after him. The train seemed to have been badly damaged, as the lights were off and there was a gaping hole in the side. There was a large hole in the roof too.

"**DO NOT RUN FROM ME! I WILL KILL YOU!**" Simmons yelled in his distorted voice as he jumped off the train, landing on the tracks. There was yet another train coming in front of him, and he roared before charging into it head-on, ramming straight into the train. It exploded, flipping on its side as Simmons caught up with the second train, the one with Leon and Helena in it. Turning to face them, several small, sharp bone pellets shot out from somewhere on his upper parts, stabbing into the walls as the two agents took cover.

"**HOW ABOUT I REUNITE YOU WITH YOUR SISTER, AGENT HARPER?! FROM WHAT MY RESEARCHERS TOLD ME, YOU MUST REALlY SHARE SOME SIMILARITIES WITH HER MUTATION! IS IT TRUE YOUR SISTER ALSO LOOKED LIKE THAT?! AND AGENT KENNEDY! HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE BEING ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SWORE TO ERADICATE?!**" he roared.

She clenched her teeth and resisted the urge to do something stupid. They had no conceivable means of attack from this range, so they had to wait out until _he _did something stupid instead.

That moment came right after, as Simmons leapt over to the carriage. He crawled in through the massive hole in the roof and started shooting bone pellets at them from this range.

They acted together. Leon jumped on Simmons, who roared and tried to shake him off as Leon put his hand on what appeared to be the place the bone pellets were coming from. He gritted his teeth in pain as his hand was rapidly shredded, and he decided to place his back on it instead. Meanwhile, thanks to the absence of the ranged attacks, Helena was able to reveal her additional limbs without fear of her weak points being attacked. She then proceeded to stab down on Simmons' organic superstructure several times, causing it to crunch as huge chunks of bone and muscle were torn off.

Simmons roared again before Leon started to slide off, but as he went he stuck a bone blade in him. It dragged along as he went down, bits and pieces of Simmons flaying off as he slid to the ground. Simmons then roared and went back up on what was left of the roof, before jumping off somewhere in front of them.

Screeching in rage, Helena crawled up herself. Leon stared for a moment, before he jumped up onto the roof too.

Up there, they could now see that Simmons was far, far away- charging the train from the opposite direction. Remembering how he had effortlessly smashed that other train to bits, obviously this was a bad sign.

Leon had a plan, though. A crazy plan, but one that might work.

"C-Come on up," he suddenly said as he motioned with his arms. Helena made a questioning growl.

"Just do it!" he quietly hissed.

She pause a moment before obliging, leaping onto Leon's outstretched palms before he then flung her at the closing-in Simmons, who jumped at them.

Screeching as she outstretched her arms, she held onto Simmons, his eyes glaring at her before she bit into his cheek. He howled in pain before shaking her off, sending her flying back to the roof the train, a chunk of his cheek still in her mouth. However, the damage was done. Simmons had missed his opportunity, and now he rapidly changed back to his human form mid-air as he, too, landed on the roof.

He was battered, his whole body scarred and bleeding. He glared at them before vomiting blood again in copious amounts. As they returned the glares, Leon noted that his right arm was still curiously missing.

"You...have no idea...what would happen if I **die!**" he shrieked before changing back into his centaur-like form. He was still arrogant enough to believe he would have an impact on the world, even if the Family had already abandoned him long ago.

"The world...would be...a **better place**," Leon said simply. Simmons roared and ripped off a piece of the train before hurling it at them.

Leon ducked, but Helena stood firm. She had a score to settle to with this guy, a personal score, and thus as the metal narrowly missed her, she opened her mouth, concentrating the force in her throat before unleashing a jet of acid at him.

The liquid splattered across his face, and he started screaming as he stumbled back, shaking around his head in a futile attempt to get the burning saliva off. Suddenly, he let out a cry of surprise as one of his legs slipped. Another one fell, and in the next second his entire figure fell under the train. There was a loud, jarring screeching sound as Leon and Helena struggled to maintain their balance, but the train itself was derailing, flying off its tracks.

Leon looked to Helena and quickly motioned his head to the river, and she nodded, understanding.

They jumped off into the water just as the train fell off as well before exploding.

And somewhere, out in the sea, a missile had been fired from a carrier ship. Moments later, it exploded right in the center of the Tatchi district, a massive blue cloud of virus enveloping the city.

###########################################################################################################

**Hunnigan: **I see you've found a Black Bass. The black bass, also known as Micropterus, is a genus of sunfish that are distributed throughout a large area east of the Rocky Mountains, to the Hudson Bay basin in Canada to northeastern Mexico. They are well known as strong fighters, and are highly popular game fish.

**Leon: **Why would there be a New World fish way out here in Europe?

**Hunnigan: **My guess is that the fish you've found there was brought here as a game fish. Bass fishing is a very popular sport in all parts of the world, and their flesh is firm and edible, so I wouldn't be surprised if the locals have somehow managed to procure some of them, possibly from an outside agent. But anyway, onto the next question- what are you doing with it?

**Leon: **Excuse me?

**Hunnigan: **I said, what are you doing carrying a fish around with you? Why did you even catch it?

**Leon: **I dunno, I was just looking at it swimming around in this dark underground pool, when I had this...urge to just shoot it.

**Hunnigan: **An...urge?

**Leon: **Yeah...something like that. No...more than just an urge. It was my destiny to meet with that fish; this was meant to be!

**Hunnigan: **Uh...I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying...

**Leon: **That fish- it was just swimming around in this pool in a dark, underground place. There was no way it could have ended up there logically! That fish...it had been there all along, waiting for me...Can't you see, Hunnigan?! That feeling when you fulfill your destiny, and feel that great...feeling as you pick it up from the water, knowing you and it were destined to meet. I really can't describe it any other way. I feel...satisfied.

**Hunnigan: **...

**Leon: **You don't believe me, don't you?

**Hunnigan: **No, I don't even know what you were talking about.

**Leon: **_You_...should come see the fish, feel its cool scales all over your skin..._then _you'll know what I'm talking about.

**Hunnigan: **Wha-Hell no! Why am I always getting stuck with the weird ones?!

**Leon: **Heh...

* * *

><p><em>Thus concludes 13 of the story, sorta. Rate and review, please. I actually enjoyed writing the fight scenes in this chapter. And don't worry, I have not forgotten and abandoned Sara the Snake(or Iluzija. Whichever you prefer). Meaningful critique is fully appreciated._


	10. Another Side, Another Story

**Another Side, Another Story**

_It was so much easier to see the world in black and white. Gray? I don't know what to do with gray..._

* * *

><p>All was quiet, for now at least.<p>

Jake Muller took one last look back, at the burning ruins of the floating restaurant and helicopter, before shaking his head and moving on, catching up to Sherry up ahead. She was already waiting by the doors, looking back at him with that depressed, but simultaneously hardened look.

He wondered how she was holding up. While he could tell quite easily that Sherry was a woman who had faced a lot of horrors in her life and had developed a very strong will as a result, it was still plain as day that she was very, very shaken by what had happened earlier. He knew she had told him that Leon had apparently saved her life back in Raccoon City, but there had not been much elaboration, and whenever Jake tried to bring it up in small talk she would either ignore him or change the subject. But from what he could tell, however, Leon had been a really important figure to her after that, possibly even a surrogate big brother or father.

_Father._

He thought back to the story he was told so many times over the course of six months, how, supposedly, Albert Wesker, genocidal maniac who intended to destroy the world, had somehow conceived a bastard son somewhere down the line, and had abandoned both him and his mother shortly after their brief relationship. The fact that his dad abandoned his family to the dust, so he could go on to 'change the human race', deeply angered him. If he was still alive, he would not hesitate to hunt him down himself to kill him, tell him how he essentially murdered Jake's mother and left Jake to the life of an aimless, wandering mercenary.

Deep, deep down, he hated his father. He wondered if Sherry felt the same about her own father, who had infected himself with the G-Virus to save his life, but realized too late the horrific side-effects.

Sherry really must have cared for Leon a lot, something he unfortunately couldn't understand very well, but could sympathize with.

"C'mon, Jake. It's time to finish this," she said as he came up, her expression changing to that of determination. They went along the corridors, until they came along to the large set of doors. They were both aware of what lay beyond these doors. Simmons. The man Leon told them was responsible for the outbreak in the US. If there was anything she could do to honor him, it was to find the truth.

"If...if Leon was right about Simmons, I want you to run. No matter what happens," she quietly said, before adding "Promise me," After a moment, Jake grunted "Fine,"

Together, they opened the doors and stepped in.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Agent Birkin, how wonderful it is to see you!"<p>

That familiar voice sounded genuinely happy as Sherry walked forward, her face grim and hardened. Standing before her, above the high platform, was Simmons, in his white coat as always. And to either side of him, a row of men in suits, their eyes hidden by sunglasses. They appeared calm and collected, but there was no mistaking the telltale bulge of pistols and submachine guns in their pockets or coats. She wondered if they were D.S.O, before realizing it was impossible; the D.S.O's _modus operandi _was discreet, with agents either working alone or in pairs, and in investigative operations, as well as coming to missions with limited armaments, being expected to procure most of their weapons on-site . They certainly didn't work in such large groups, and they as far as she knew they didn't work as bodyguards.

Leon was a special exception, the President's protection being his role even before the formation of the D.S.O.

Right now, Simmons had a broad smile on his face as he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, the same smile he used every time he saw Sherry happy, whenever she got to see Claire again, or got a high score in the video games he bought for her, or when she was accepted into the D.S.O for the first time.

Now that Leon had told her he was not to be trusted, she wasn't sure how much of it was genuine anymore.

"I see that you have succeeded in your mission of locating Jake Muller. Excellent! You can't believe how...how _proud _I am of you! To see you become such a fine and capable agent...We have a chopper ready, and once we're back in the States I'll make sure to treat you to-"

"Simmons. Were you involved in the terrorist attack in the US?" she bluntly asked, intending to get to the point.

There was a brief look of surprise on his face, though it was quickly replaced by a blank 'what do you mean' expression. The suited bodyguards slowly reached their hands into the pockets where they were keeping their weapons.

"What are you talking about, Agent Birkin? Who told you that?"

"A...A fellow agent that I trust," she then looked away for a moment, resisting the urge to tear up at the horrible memory, hesitating before she continued. "He and his partner told us that while we were on our way here. They were there, during the outbreak,"

Simmons blinked a few times before he slowly put his palm to his temple, as though he was having a slight headache, an irritating problem.

"This...this agent. His name is Kennedy, isn't it? And his partner is named Harper, is that right?"

Sherry said nothing, but she continued staring at Simmons while simultaneously trying not to think about the two of them, particularly Leon. Simmons snapped his fingers.

"...just as I thought. You've been misguided, Agent Birkin. You see, Agents Kennedy and Harper were trying to deflect the blame _away _from them-"

"What-"

"They were responsible for the President's death, seeing as they abandoned their posts right at the moment of the outbreak!"

Several seconds passed, as Sherry took it in. Her face was that of muted horror. The President...?

"The...the President's dead?"

"And we have the two of them to blame!" he rattled. "Speaking of which, where are they now, Agent Birkin? We could use the information to take them into custody-"

"Oh, save the bullshit, and just get to the point!" Jake spoke up for the first time in the conversation. "The President's dead, so what. Answer the question - were you or were you not responsible for the attack in America?!"

Now, it was Simmons' turn to glare at the two.

"You...you have been hanging around the wrong people, Sherry-"

"Tell us the truth! Are you responsible?! Now! Answer me!" Sherry suddenly yelled in uncharacteristic fury, recovering rather quickly from the shocking news of the President's death.

Simmons appeared thoughtful for a moment. Then, he uttered "yes. Yes, I am."

In the following seconds, several things happened at once. Jake pulled out his pistol, his face visibly angered as he opened fire, whilst diving to the side for cover. The suited bodyguards revealed their weapons and started firing on the two, and Sherry stood there, dazed as she took in the information, before yelping as she was pushed into cover by Jake.

Just as they got by, the bullets hit the spot where they once were.

"Hold it, hold your fire, those two may still be of use to us!" Simmons ordered.

Sherry was frightened. The man she had seen as a guardian, a surrogate father, a mentor, a friend had betrayed her, and now he was actively trying to capture them. Jake looked into her eyes, and she shallowly breathed "What...what are we gonna do?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" he said as he shook his head. He just wasn't used to all this 'thinking and planning' stuff. Charging in head-on was more of his style.

Then, peeking his head out a little, he took aim and fired off a couple of shots. One of the men grunted in pain before falling down just as he was forced back by more gunfire. He panted before taking out his assault rifle, having found some more ammunition for them.

Turning back to Sherry, he said "I really have no idea, so I say we just waste them,"

And with that, before Sherry could protest, he rushed out from cover, firing his rifle into the men. They scrambled for cover, shooting back just as Simmons looked down at him with a smug look on his face. He turned back as he whispered to his men, "Take them out. Non-lethally. You know they can take much more than anybody,"

Just then, a masked( and for whatever reason, shirtless) man leapt down in front of Jake. He glared at him as the J'avo laughed and shouted "I'm gonna gut you alive, Muller, but only after Lady Wong's done with you! Ahahaha!"

He apparently failed to take into account the row of armed men behind him, so he cried out in pain the next moment as he was peppered by far more bullets than he could regenerate, disintegrating from the inside-out. The fact he wasn't wearing any clothes at all other than his pants probably helped him out a lot. Huh, maybe he just wanted to show off his body. His sweaty, glistening, muscular body...

Wait, what in fuck's name was he thinking about?!

The bodyguards then turned their attention to him, but then they seemed to be distracted, deciding to turn around and fire upon an unseen threat behind them. There was a yell of pain, and he saw Simmons stumbling back as he clutched his neck, before pulling out what appeared to be a long dart loaded with something.

Jake didn't miss the opportunity; he reloaded and continued firing on the distracted agents, just as another J'avo leapt down from above, then another, and then another. He glared at the masked men before pulling out a grenade and throwing it, causing one of them to catch the thing in mid-air, before trying to throw it back. He was too late, though, and the thing exploded in his hands, completely destroying him and causing one of his partners to scream as his mangled arm rapidly mutated into a giant praying mantis sickle, whilst the other one was thrown off and smashed against a wall, starting to get to his feet when he suddenly started burning up, moaning in pain as slime consumed his body and he became a Chrysalid.

From behind her cover, Sherry leaned out, completely horrified at the turn of events. Not only was Jake acting brash and bullheaded by running off to fight the agents( and now, the Neo-Umbrella J'avo), but he had also left her behind, as she was too cautious to join him in his extremely risky move. She gunned down another J'avo with her pistol as more of the masked men as they jumped down from above, shouting in Cantonese and pointing to her.

She shot off the mask of another one of them, and he stood there in surprise, his two main eyes, his real eyes, his eyes when he was a human, looked down at his bloodstained hands and he started screaming before his head exploded, a quad of giant dragonfly-like wings sprouting from the stump and causing the body to dangle as he started flying upwards, the hands feeling around what used to be his head in a panicked fashion. Sherry was distracted by the new head-based mutation long enough for another J'avo to grab her from behind.

"JAKE!" she cried out, as the men grappled her and started pulling her away.

Jake looked back as he punched and knocked out another J'avo, seeing as Sherry was taken away. Oh...shit! In his blindness, he had allowed Sherry to get captured...

"SHERRY!" he yelled as he started to make a beeline for her, firing his rifle into the mob.

"Get him! Get him now!" another voice yelled in Cantonese before someone jumped him from behind.

"Ugh, get off me, you-" he said as he shook off the guy, but then another J'avo, the one he punched out earlier, punched him across the face before putting his hands on his mouth just as he said "Remember me, you cunt?!"

Damn, he was getting suffocated! As his vision started to fade, he could only see Sherry, still screaming for him as she was taken away. It was then that he realized he had...completely failed Leon. The man clearly cared for Sherry like a father and, though they didn't off to a great start, he could tell he would have wanted him to protect her. Goddammit...Leon...Sherry...

He made one last futile reach with his hand before he blacked out completely, and Sherry was knocked out with a strike to the face.

The data concerning Jake and the C-Virus was still in her pocket as she was captured.

* * *

><p>Hunnigan wiped her forehead of sweat as she leaned back on her chair. She had to admit; she was tired. Burned-out, and not just physically, but mentally too.<p>

Nearly two hours had passed since she lost contact with Leon and Helena. And it wasn't like the signal was jammed, or they had moved into an area with no signals(which was impossible in an economically important city like Lanshiang). It was almost like...the signals just ceased to exist. Like their handhelds were destroyed or something.

And even then, she would have still been able to detect a faint signal, unless they were completely destroyed by fire or electricity. The handheld phones of today weren't just built to be aesthetically pleasing with their holographic designs, but hardy too. It was rare for such a cellphone to be destroyed so easily.

So what could have happened to them? She sighed as she cleared her desk, the empty coffee cups and crumpled sandwich wrappers strewn on them pushed over the edge. She'd barely gotten any sleep ever since two days ago. She was really tired, and she knew she needed a break, however short it may be.

She pushed back her glasses as she continued typing, taking a sip of cold coffee as well. She would not give up until she either rediscovers Leon and Helena, or until she finds out what happened to them. She hoped it was nothing too bad.

She would never give up. Not until she finds her friends.

* * *

><p>"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"<p>

The damned woman in the blue dress was getting away, and Chris was not happy with his current situation. Right about now, he and Piers were chasing her down the long corridor, after she had trapped them in a room and tried to kill them with pathetic explosive drones. As if it would make any difference. He was going to hunt her down to the ends of the earth, and he was going to _kill _her.

For his men. Finn. Marco. All of them.

"My, you sure are desperate, aren't you? Got some temper issues?" Ada taunted as she continued running, her red scarf trailing behind her. Chris noticed the junction they were coming up to, and the rectangular design of the walkway.

"Piers! Take the other route! We're cornering her!" he commanded.

"On it Captain!" he heard Piers respond.

Damn, he was getting closer...Ada was getting to the corner, he could see Piers across the other side...

"FREEZE!" he yelled as he drew his rifle, Piers doing the same. Ada was cornered, and she started looking around, apparently looking for a way out.

"Don't even think about it!" Chris snarled, inching closer to the blue-dressed woman, who merely smiled.

"So..you're playing the hero now, aren't you?" she said icily.

"Damn you... Goddamn you, Ada!" he yelled as she pulled out her C-Virus dart gun. Her other hand fished around for something else.

She then pointed the pistol at Piers' direction.

"Any closer and you'll have another man short," she sing-songed, deliberately playing at Chris' fear of losing more men. His grip on the rifle tightened, and he made a subtle signal to Piers.

Though he appeared hesitant, Piers signalled him back and moved in while she was facing Chris, making a quick motion with the intention of disarming her.

With a humanly impossible reaction speed, Ada turned around and fired the pistol, the dart narrowly missing Piers as he weaved to the side, his eyes wide with panic.

"NO!" Chris shrieked before closing in, lifting the butt of his assault rifle to attack- no, bludgeon her to death when Ada threw something small at them.

"Wha-" he started to say before there was a blinding flash of light, and his ears couldn't hear anything other than the constant, whining tinnitus of a flash grenade.

He roared, holding his hands in front of his eyes and seeing the light start fading just as Ada smirked and pulled out her grapple gun.

"No! NO!" he yelled just as the woman pulled herself upwards, a smug look on her face as she disappeared through the open window.

Chris could only stare for a moment before he balled his fists, smashing them into the wall.

"GODDAMMIT!" he yelled in frustration as he removed his fist from the indentation on the wall, furious. He then immediately said "She can't have gone far. Let's move!"

"Captain. Captain!" Piers called. Chris then turned around, and gave Piers a very harsh glare. His subordinate, however, did not appear intimidated in any way, and responded with a glare of his own.

"What?!"

"Please rethink all of this, Captain! You're letting your vengeance cloud your judgement all over again! You have to think of the big picture!"

"Then what?! Are you suggesting I let her go?!"

"No, I'm suggesting you actually do something that will honor your men! Arrest her, Captain! Isn't all of this for justice?!"

"What I am doing _is _justice!"

"No, this is not justice, this is just your own personal revenge! This is madness!"

"Say again, Piers?!"

"Are you really going to stoop all the way down to their level, Captain? For revenge? Is it what you think Finn would have wanted?!"

Chris glared at him for several seconds, before looking away and commanding, "We've already wasted enough time! Let's move!"

He didn't see Piers glare at him behind his back, but Piers knew that the captain was aware about it.

* * *

><p>Chris and Piers ran along the tight corridor, pursuing the woman in blue as she made her own merry way through the aircraft carrier.<p>

Every now and then, Piers glanced aside at Chris. He definitely did not look like he had improved in the least bit, ever since his memories came back to him. As a matter of fact, he almost looked older, even though he was still in his 30s. Though still relatively young, the bags under his eyes told of how old he really was, inside.

And instead of reinvigorating him like he expected, the return of his memories only seemed to only worsen the situation, burying his beloved Captain beneath the lust for vengeance.

His worried looks did not escape Chris' attention. While still moving fast, and without looking directly at him, Chris said, "What is it, Piers?"

Piers swallowed. He could not break here, not now. Opening his mouth, he spoke.

"This is wrong, Captain. This is all wrong and you know it," he said.

"What the hell's wrong, Piers?" Chris responded, still not looking.

"She's a human, Captain."

"So what?"

"She's human. You don't kill those. The Chris Redfield I know wouldn't do that. Not the Chris Redfield all those men followed. The Chris Redfield Finn followed,"

Chris didn't look at him, but Piers knew he was giving him a deathly glare that was telling him to shut up right now.

He ignored it, continuing.

"Death is too good for her, Captain. It's like a mercy to her. Please, just-just put her behind bars. Something she'll hate more than death."

Though Piers didn't know it, Chris did think about the situation in his mind. Some primal part of him wanted Ada dead, whilst his conscious was screaming to take control, to bring her to justice. He didn't know which voice to listen to now.

"Don't do something you'll regret for the rest of your life, Chris. You _can't _turn your back on justice for something like revenge. What would happen if you killed her, huh? You'll still be angry. Nothing's gonna change. Finn and the others, they're still gonna be dead. It won't change anything, Chris. Just...just remember that," he pleaded.

Chris said nothing. He opened the doors and stepped out, sweeping the open area with his rifle, feeling the strong wind. And then saw it, the blue shape standing at the edge of the observation deck.

"Ada!"

"Still haven't had enough, huh? Even after losing all your men-_again?_"

Chris and Piers aimed their guns at the woman in blue as she backed down, a confident smile still plastered on her face as she wrapped her scarf over a second time. She was cornered, and unlike last time, had no where else to escape to other than the deep fall behind her.

Sweat trickled down Chris' forehead as he aimed through the sights of the assault rifle at his hated enemy, the visible laser dot pointed at her chest, whilst Piers slowly looked over to Chris. He was becoming very nervous about what was going to happen next, and wondered if all his talk from before was enough to snap his respected Captain out of his revenge-fueled rampage.

"With your track record, I gotta say, I'd hate to be a member of your team, Chris." she taunted, her face twisted into an arrogant sneer.

"Ada..." Chris practically snarled, venom in his voice as he edged closer. Ada merely smiled again as she pulled out her dart pistol, the very same one she used to turn Marco.

"Don't listen to her, Captain!" Piers tried to say as Chris slowly advanced closer, trying to do anything to defuse the ticking situation. "Goddamn you, Ada...Goddamn you, goddamn you!" Chris yelled. Ada seemed to only become happier at his response, judging by the wicked smile that cracked her lips.

"But where are my manners? I mean, really- I should be thanking your men, for being such...good..._test subjects._"

And with those words, Chris Redfield finally snapped. He aimed the rifle at her hand and fired off a burst.

Ada's face immediately switched from calm and sadistic to that of pain and shock as her right hand was utterly mangled by the assault rifle, the dart pistol flying off as well. And then just as quickly, her face twisted into a feral snarl as she turned to Chris, pure shock still in her eyes, as if she did not expect him to do that.

The time it took for her to switch expressions was also enough for Chris to cross the distance between them, seemingly arriving before her in an instant.

Just because he decided that no, he wasn't going to kill her, did not mean he was going to be gentle. She needed to know just how much he wanted to end her and how Piers really is the only thing keeping him in check right now.

And so, he then grabbed her by the neck. Her eyes strained as they were filled with hatred, glaring into his own eyes, as he increased the pressure on the chokehold.

"I'm not going to kill you, Ada. Ever since Edonia...all I've wanted is to see you dead. But this isn't about vengeance. This is about justice." he said.

He tightened his grip, causing her to struggle in a very uncharacteristic way, as though she was panicked, something he had not seen in her before.

Ada glared wildly between Chris and Piers before suddenly shouting in a _very_ out-of-character manner, "Screw you, Redfield! Screw all you fucking B.S.A.A! Do you think it's all over now? No, you're wrong, you're always wrong! Simmons, his Family, the world they created, they will all still pay for what they did to me! My plans are thriving, they're just beginning! I am A...Ada W-ong" she stuttered, as if she was being forced against her will to speak the name, "...and I will have my-"

She did not finish her sentence. Chris had roughly let go of her, pushing her back.

"But just because this is for justice, doesn't mean I'm gonna be nice," he said the latter six words very quietly. Very, very quietly. The dangerous kind of quiet voice.

She was forced back a step by Chris' rough push.

Standing right at the edge of the platform, she glared at them one more time they suddenly changed. Her feet were only halfway on the deck, and she started to fall over the side. Off-balance, her eyes turned wide with shock as she toppled backwards over the edge of the deck, losing her footing.

Chris' eyes similarly filled with surprise as he reached out, realizing his shove was harder than he intended.

"NO!" he yelled as he grabbed the red scarf instead, having missed her hand, and collapsing to the ground. There was a sudden tug as he struggled to hold on, the red scarf straining as he felt Ada hanging around in mid-air. "Captain!" Piers yelled, as he pulled Chris over. Chris looked over the edge to see that Ada's face seemed to be turning blue, thrashing and flailing about as she tried to undo the scarf, as if she was instinctively trying to scream for breath but could not. Streaks of blood flowed down her blue dress as she grasped her scarf with her bloodied, mangled hand.

She was choking to death.

"Hang on!" he cried as he started to pull, but it was clear on whose side the battle was; Ada's struggling was becoming more frantic and clearly painful as she slowly suffocated, while it wasn't immediately clear if they could pull her up by the scarf alone. The scarf itself was visibly starting to tear, being unable to support her weight for too long. He couldn't imagine the pain of the strangulation she was going through.

And yet as the two B.S.A.A soldiers heaved and pulled together again, Chris couldn't help but notice how Ada's eyes had opened, and despite all the things she had done, the eyes were not filled with malice, but the haunting look of sheer, unwavering fear and suffering as she stared into Chris' own eyes. Her hands weakly reached up for him, as though she was reaching to him for help, even as the struggling started to become slower, weakening.

Then, it fell down to her side, hanging limply. Chris stared at Ada, his mouth agape with shock as he took in the motionless, dangling body.

Ada Wong was dead.

And he...he had killed her. He had taken a life, and not only was it not in self-defense, but in the slowest, most painful way to take a life possible.

As his hands became numb with shock, his grip slackened. The scarf slipped from his fingers, and he could only state as the swaying body fell, landing hard on the deck below. Blood started to pool around the body, whose eyes were still open and stuck in the last expression of complete, utter fear she had in life.

A helicopter suddenly appeared, it's searchlight focused on the body for a moment before it left, as quick as it came. But they paid no attention to it.

Behind him, Piers balled his fists and punched the concrete, silently swearing. It was then that HQ suddenly contacted them.

Chris could not make out much of the radio messages, only a few words. "Missiles, launching, aiming for Tatchi, get the hell to it!" among other things.

He could not even really think that clearly even as Piers had to physically pull him away from the edge.

This wasn't the first time Chris had killed someone. It was the first time he did it without any provocation whatsoever, the first time his victim suffered so much before death, the first time he felt no contempt, but pure guilt for it.

It was a death he would be haunted by for a long time.

* * *

><p><em>Fun fact: Sherry is actually older than Piers, Helena, and Jake...Yea. Special thanks to Mazzie May for helping me out aplenty! The slowness of suffocation and imperfect hanging was researched to make the chapter climax as horrific as possible :(<em>


	11. Chapter 10

_A butterfly flaps it's wings in Peking, and a hurricane brews in New York. Everything changes. Also, if any of you are up for it, fan-art is appreciated._

* * *

><p>For a moment, the water was still.<p>

Then, several seconds later, the surface of the water exploded as two mutated figures emerged from it, gasping and sputtering for breath. They climbed onto the shore, and shortly after that Helena collapsed from exhaustion.

"Is…is he dead?" she asked Leon, who was looking back at the half-sinking train. He stared at it for a while longer before responding "Let's…hope…so,"

Something felt very wrong with it all. But still, at least they could have a breather moment for a while. Even if Leon had a nagging feeling Simmons wasn't quite finished yet. Like the trench coat-clad Tyrant that he now resembled a much leaner and more well-proportioned form of, or William Birkin, who _always _came back and took an exploding train with a self-destruct system designed explicitly for eliminating rogue B.O.W.s to finally take out.

Still good to have a break, though, however short it may be.

After a moment of rest, they went up the concrete steps on the beach. It was at this moment that they thought something was very, very wrong. There was screaming up ahead, a lot of screaming, explosions, and gunfire. And was that…ash falling from the sky? He inwardly shivered, wondering what could have happened.

Eventually, they came up to the top of the platform, where they were met with a horrific sight.

A thick, dark blue cloud had consumed the great skyscrapers, and as they watched the cloud seemed to be spreading further, rolling over the city. Masses of civilians were screaming as they attempted to escape the cloud, and out of the blue gas shambling figures appeared—zombies. Those who were caught in the noxious fog choked and asphyxiated before falling to the ground, dead, only to arise seconds later as undead flesh-eating abominations.

"What the hell…just happened?" Leon asked himself in shock. It was like Tall Oaks all over again, the zombies and the blue gas…only this time, much greater in scale...

Helena did not answer, she could only stare at the chaos before them. No one else below seemed to notice them.

That is, until they heard the voice call out "Hey! Hey you two…holy shit."

They turned over to see a B.S.A.A trooper as he stared at them in shock before running off, speaking into his radio as he went. There were other soldiers in the area who seemed to have realized their presence, seeing as they started speaking in panicked tones while pointing to them. However, for once, they seemed to have a grasp on their priorities—instead of attacking them, they were watching them cautiously as they shouted to the civilians, guiding them in the safer directions and combating zombies who were getting too close.

The last of the civilians and troopers disappeared through a gate, the first soldier who noticed them looking at them one last time before going off.

The streets were now empty, save for the encroaching zombies and corpses of slain soldiers and civilians. It took Leon a moment to snap back into action.

"**Follow them**!" he yelled in his distorted reverb. It was actually a ridiculous choice, following people who would likely mistake them for hunting them and attack on sight, but then what other choice did they have?

They vaulted over the railing and, ignoring the zombies who noticed them, and ran to the locked gate. Leon did not wish to test if their infection and mutation meant they were immune to the gas-based form of the C-Virus.

He more or less effortlessly punched through the gate, the door flying off and striking down several random zombies that were in the way.

He turned around to see as a B.S.A.A soldier seemed to give them a fearful look before closing a pair of large double doors. There was the audible click of a lock being set into place, as well as more shouting and running inside.

The wind blew. The gas rolled over them.

Helena's eyes widened and she put her clawed hand over her mouth, panicking. Her breath was shallow as she looked around the streets for any indoor place. There was none.

Holding his breath as well, Leon motioned for her to follow him. Going along, they saw the insides of the department store the B.S.A.A had went in through the glass. Several zombies were thumping and bashing at the glass, as the soldiers inside watched them with caution. Several civilians were huddled behind them, cowering and shaking in fear, whispering desperate reassurances to one another.

Several cracks appeared on the glass, and they could only stare on as the window shattered under sheer numbers, the zombies pouring in, falling on top of one another.

"Get back! Get back!" the soldiers yelled as they directed the civilians to go upstairs, opening fire on the undead horde. They worked as a team well, covering each other when they were reloading and relying on hand signals and simple glances as much as vocal commands. A truly coordinated team.

One by one, they went up the stairs.

Where else could they go? Following them was still the only other thing they could do. Nodding to Helena to continue holding her breath, they effortlessly cut through the zombies like a knife through hot butter. Their frail, rotten bodies were almost laughably easy to destroy. A single punch from Leon could send several zombies staggering, their skulls pulverized, while Helena's quick claw slashes made quick work of incapacitating them, tearing out their spines and rendering them vulnerable to kicks, stomps, or even accidental steppings. The undead monsters did attempt to fight back simply by grabbing at them and trying to bite, but shaking them off took little to no effort at all.

Pathetic, really.

The horde was dismantled in moments, and as Helena finished off a straggler, yowling before kicking off its head with her talons, Leon's ears picked up the radio transmission coming from the uniform of a dead B.S.A.A trooper.

"Charlie, do you read me? We're heading to the Quad Tower for evacuation, repeat, head to the Quad Tower for evacuation. Entry to Tatchi is strictly prohibited now,"

So this Quad Tower was being used as an evacuation center. Granted, he had no idea how people would react to two mutated freaks showing up to be evacuated, but…once again, where else could they go? The best they could do now was to try to speak to them and establish their status as friendly.

Inwardly, though, he wondered if it was better to die than stay infected, even if he could keep his mind.

Helena silently pointed something out. Through the fog, they could just see as what appeared to be the outline of a B.S.A.A Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), as well as a few fluid, moving human figures around it.

Leon pointed to it before glancing at Helena. She nodded, and he returned the nod.

They moved to the vehicle, going up some stairs to a higher street level before coming close to it.

* * *

><p>"DON'T LOOK BACK! JUST GO!" the soldier yelled before slamming the doors close, consumed by the zombies.<p>

Fawkes could only stare for a moment at the now-closed door, his hands still shaking as the realization of what just happened set in. He had abandoned his good friend to die, just like that...

"Charlie Team, is there still anyone there?! This is Echo Team, requesting immediate backup!" the panicked voice nearly screamed from his radio, as gunfire and moans were heard in the background.

Shit. He tried to blink the depression away, try to focus on the task at hand. Now was definitely not the time to grief. He needed to go look for what's left of Echo Team. Leave no man behind.

Hurrying down the steps, he fired a 3-round burst from his AR-SP(Assault Rifle for Special Tactics) into the skulls of the couple zombies that lingered near his APC, before getting in.

"Charlie to HQ, Charlie to HQ, do you copy?"

"HQ to Charlie, proceed to the Quad Tower for evacuation!"

"But what about-" he cut off. There was something in the side mirror he couldn't quite be sure of.

"HQ to Charlie. Charlie, respond!"

He looked a little closer in the mirror and-

Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit. Those two humanoid Chrysalid mutations were _here_. He was still in utter disbelief that Neo-Umbrella had somehow managed to send some of their B.O.W.s here, right under their noses, and yet they still went ahead and launched a missile at the city. And now...aww crap. They were getting closer, right next to the APC, and one of them was...

She...it was looking straight into him from the mirror.

"Oh fuck!" he gasped, panicking as he hit the gas. The vehicle rocked as though something - or _somethings_ - had climbed on top of the APC as it sped away, but he gave no thought to it as he sped down the alley, intending to get as far away from the mutations as he could.

Once he had driven a good distance from it, he looked back to where he was through the mirror. They were gone. It was only then that he finally felt the heavy creaking on the roof of the APC, and he gulped as he realized what had happened.

They had climbed up. The strange, frankly disturbing inhuman clicking and chittering sounds above him only confirmed it.

With shaky, sweaty hands, he reached and the steering wheel and stomped on the accelerator.

The APC raced forward, before he then stopped abruptly, before he hit anything in the very crowded street.

He then jumped in shock as the female-looking monster, the same one that looked him in the eye, screeched loudly before tumbling over the hood of the APC, landing in front of him. For a while, it seemed almost like it was as surprised as he was as it looked around itself before taking a deep breath, and then turning to face him.

He stepped on the accelerator.

It reacted fast, really fast. Leaping onto the hood of the APC, it shrieked in panic as he tried to swerve the vehicle from side to side, trying to shake it off. For just a moment, it locked eyes with him again, and at that point he just stared.

It...almost looked like those yellow eyes were..._pleading _with him.

Suddenly, a hand reached down, and the B.O.W seemed to chitter some sort of reply as she actually reached out with her talons and took it. He blinked as it was pulled back up.

Did that really just happen?

He stopped the APC for a moment. It was getting difficult to see past the fog, and there were zombies wandering around the streets. Some of them started snarling and moaning in his direction, and as he watched, one of them got onto the hood, where he started pounding at the glass.

Then, an organic bone blade suddenly shot down, stabbing the zombie right between the eyes. It twitched for a moment before sliding off.

Fawkes was surprised once again. Did one of those B.O.W.s just...protect him? He pondered that moment for a second.

Then, he shook it off. That didn't matter. What mattered was that, one way or another, they were going to have to get off, but for now, at least, he would tolerate their little hitchhike. He continued his mission to find what was left of Echo Team.

* * *

><p>"We...we can breath it?" Leon asked. Helena nodded her head.<p>

"We must be immune," she said. They looked back forward. The driver of the APC had been somewhat more...'gentle' after Helena's fall, although she had to admit staring at him in the eyes may have been a factor. She wondered if that, alone would be able to tell that they meant no harm.

Ash fell from the sky in copious amounts as they drove through the blue fog, the gas obscuring much of the details unless they came very close. The zombies were everywhere, and every now and then a lucky bugger managed to climb up the APC. A simple attack was all it took to get it off.

And in the minutes that passed by, Helena was suddenly struck with the sickening realization that she had effectively abandoned the girl-turned-B.O.W they had met and befriended in her apartment. The moment she saw Ada, she dropped everything (and she meant _everything_) on her mind, single-mindedly pursuing her like a mindless predator. And when she caught Simmons' scent on the wind, that same furious, single-minded desire to take vengeance overwrote all her other thoughts. It made her feel deeply ashamed, to have abandoned a girl she had secretly come to see as...as a second sister.

How was she doing now, she wondered. She was probably still lonely, and confused in the apartment, all alone when her two only friends unexpectedly left the apartment for no apparent reason. She hoped she would stay there, and not wander off. If...if everything somehow came to a peaceful conclusion, she would like to go back to that place, and meet her again, then apologize for everything, and then take her under her wing and care.

And if anyone hurt her while she was there, B.S.A.A or not, they would pay. Oh _hell _would they pay, any notions of peaceful thoughts in her mind be damned. Even if it would threaten their future.

If she even had a future after all this.

"Helena," Leon suddenly said.

She made a questioning chirp as she looked at him. He pointed to a sign.

'QUAD TOWER', right below the Chinese characters for the location.

There was an arrow pointing to the front, but it appeared the driver of the APC had no intention to going there yet.

"L...Let's go," he said. She nodded, thumping the roof of the APC twice. It would probably terrify the driver out of his mind, but she wanted to signal to him that they were leaving and, if possible, signal thanks as well.

Getting down from the vehicle, she watched as Leon looked at the driver for several long seconds, just as the driver's masked face, too, looked in the side mirror at them. He stared back at the two of them for several seconds before Leon turned around and continued walking on, Helena following by his side, looking back at him in the eyes as she went.

The APC had stopped for a moment, the driver observing as they simply left, before he continued his journey.

* * *

><p>There was a large blockade partitioning the road in two up front. Leon simply jumped over the thing, his general strength helping out a lot; Helena scaled it with her claws before dropping off on the other side.<p>

Over in this section, the fog had either not hit it, or maybe it had already dissipated. Still, that didn't explain why the streets were curiously empty, or the total silence of the area. It was almost as if everyone had suddenly disappeared for some reason.

It was then that Leon noticed the gushing sound. Looking over, he saw the crashed gasoline tank truck, its load pouring out onto the street in copious amounts. There seemed to be a malfunctioning electric spark near it.

His eyes widened.

"**GET BA-**"

There was a massive explosion, and the next thing he knew, he was being thrown off. There was then a sudden, stabbing pain in his chest, and he blacked out.

* * *

><p>He slowly opened his eyes to see chaos. An almost literal hell.<p>

Amidst the blazing fire, there were zombies everywhere. A man screamed as he was attacked and devoured by the ravenous undead monsters.

He grunted in pain as he tried to get up, only to see the piece of rebar sticking through his chest. It had narrowly missed his hearts, both of them, but it still hurt like hell, and he was losing blood fast. He groaned as he tried to get up again, tried to pull himself out, but he was too weak.

Where was Helena? He hoped she made it.

The answer came when he heard a loud, very painful screech. Looking over to the side, he saw as Helena dragged herself toward him, two long trails of blood following. The reason became clear; her left leg and tail was missing, some bone sticking visibly sticking out of the stumps, the dismembered body parts lying some distance away. Even so, he could already see the flesh start regenerating, but it would probably take some time.

Then, clenching her teeth, Helena's insectoid limbs burst out from her back. She then began to walk towards him that way, the limbs tapping on the road like a spider as her intact leg dragged along, as the appendages only supported her upper torso. Reaching Leon, she wordlessly slipped her hands around his chest and pulled. Blood started spewing out as Leon also clenched his teeth and his fists to resist the pain. Eventually, he was released from the piece of metal with a burst of blood, and he gasped before rolling to the side, panting as the wound quickly regenerated. Mere flesh usually regrew faster than flesh and bone, hence why Helena's torn-off body parts had yet to fully regenerate. The virus was still hard at work, knitting new flesh and bone for her.

Then, her eyes rolled up into her skull, and she promptly fainted from exhaustion.

Leon stared for a moment before he got back up, and put her to lean against him. They were both completely defenseless. The zombies, whom he by now had realized did not discriminate and attacked both humans and C-Virus mutants alike, were encroaching in.

Then, he heard it- the telltale thumping sound of a helicopter. A bright light shone on them, causing him to flinch and cover his eyes with his hand. Looking out, he saw that the helicopters' pilot seat was being occupied by...

"Ada?!"

Ada Wong stared at them, the monster that used to be Leon and the bitch that nearly killed her, both directly and indirectly. Her blouse was still matted with white slime from the brief showdown with Carla, and more than once she had almost been consumed because she was unable to run at full speed, thanks to the injury in her leg. And even besides that, she had been forced into a painful limp all the time, which nearly cost her her life whenever she encountered a squad of Elite J'avo, the troopers that, according to some of Carla's files, were the only ones in the whole Neo-Umbrella army who understood the true purpose of their mission, and fully supported it.

That leg still hurt like hell. The bleeding may have stopped, thanks to some bandages, herbal medication, and a bottle of painkillers, but she would need some proper medical aid soon, lest the wounds reopen and cause her to bleed out, or if she catches an infection and dies. It wasn't even like she was really properly healed; all that 'treatment' did was trick her body into thinking it could still go on when it really needed some immediate medical treatment. Other agents had always told her she had a terrible sense of first aid, but she usually paid no heed to them.

She had every reason to open fire on Leon and Helena. They were very vulnerable now. She would put the thing that used to be Leon- her _lover_ - to rest, and she could take her sweet, sweet vengeance on Helena.

So why was it that she found herself strangely drawn to the way Leon's yellow eyes were looking at her? Or how the unconscious Helena was being dragged to safety by him?

Why was it that she found herself actually protecting them, opening fire on the approaching zombies instead?

Why did she just stare impassively as the monsters moved themselves to the nearby building, Leon once again looking at her again?

Was it true they still had their minds?

For once, she felt almost...confused. She had not had that feeling in years, as she was a woman who prided herself on always knowing the most and the best. Confronting something she did not understand well was an inherently alien feeling to her.

She almost felt like that confused, scared, lonely and orphaned little girl she was so many years ago...

No. She would not go that far just to make comparisons. Those were some horrible times she was trying to hide under the mask of her cunning and confidence, the times before she suddenly found herself under Albert Wesker's tutelage.

She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind. She had a job to finish.

* * *

><p>Leon grunted as he punched off the steel door, making his way to the adjacent room, ignoring the corpse of the B.S.A.A trooper in it. He then smashed aside the woodwork blocking the corridor, a simple splinter being thrown at high speed hitting the skull of the lone B.S.A.A zombie in the room.<p>

"Hang in there, Helena..." he said.

He then gently put Helena down. She coughed as she regained consciousness, her leg and tail having fully regenerated by now. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"L-Leon?" she asked before looking down at her regenerated limbs. She moved them experimentally before leaning back on the wall, tired and eager for a quick break.

He growled in a somewhat reassuring manner. "C'mon...it's n-not over yet," he said. He felt that he should probably omit the fact that Ada had assisted them. Helena would probably not respond too well to that. She looked at him, grunting before trying to get herself up. When Leon offered his hand, she gratefully accepted.

"How're you holdin' up?"

"I...can walk. Thank you," she said sincerely. He nodded.

"Let's go,"

They continued on, Leon beating down the metal door with ease. As they went along the dark, dimly lit corridor, they heard the unmistakeable sound of the moans and snarls of a large horde of zombies. And the rotting smell, too, was unmistakable. While the J'avo certainly had an infected scent to them only they could detect, they didn't smell rotten at all-it was just a distinct scent, was all. The zombies, on the other hand, simply reeked of decomposing flesh, only amplified by their heightened sense of smell. It was just plain repulsive, the scents just begging them to kill their owners.

He just growled, nodded to Helena to get ready. She returned the nod. Even from here, they could already smell the foul beings.

As they approached the stairs, the horde attacked. They glanced at each other and nodded again.

They easily cut through the mob, an individual attack being able to take out several zombies at once. There was no need to dodge the zombies' slow attacks- their swings and blows did little to them, even to Helena's fragile-looking figure. The fact that they were constantly in action meant the problem of grappling and biting zombies, something that was dangerous when they were human, was now an irrelevant matter entirely. Another zombie's arm thudded ineffectually off Leon as he swung his own arm, bashing off its head instantly and knocking down the others that were next to it. He then kicked one in the torso, his clawed foot getting lodged in before he violently ripped it out, bisecting the body entirely.

Helena whirled around, the force of her tail and blade actually taking off the legs on a few zombies and causing several more to stumble into each other, one of which fell down the stairs and snapped its neck at the bottom. A quick kick disemboweled another one as she grabbed its skull and ripped it off, before smashing said skull into the head of another zombie, whose own skull became a pulverized mix of brain matter and bone.

Leon grabbed one by the neck, lifting it up as it continued snarling and clawing at his face. He looked at it for a moment before headbutting it, the force of it created a U-shaped chasm in the middle of its head, while a shower of gore sprayed the wall behind it.

The horde was completely decimated, now an unrecognizable mess of parts, blood and gore in a large pile at the top of the stairs. It was impossible to even tell individual body parts, save for the odd hand or leg.

Moving on the long corridor, they saw a lone zombie up ahead, simply thudding its head against the wall. Leon rushed over and grabbed it by the nape of the neck before smashing it into the wall in question, a fountain of blood spraying from the stump. Suddenly, the whole building rocked.

_"What the hell!_" Leon thought as he roared, trying to keep his balance.

"Just keep moving," Helena quietly said as she moved to the steel door at the end, Leon following suit.

They nodded to each other before Helena opened the door with her three clawed fingers, sliding the claws over the handle before pushing it down and pulling.

They were greeted with a horrific sight.

Chaos. Pure, utter chaos. The highway in front of them was jammed with cars, and there were zombies crawling all over the street. Several people screamed as undead monsters crawled into their cars, and several more were killed when they tried to escape on foot. The air was thick with blood, rotten flesh, smoke, gunpowder, explosions and gunfire.

And up ahead, not too far from their position, was the Quad Tower. Four great skyscrapers, interconnected by sky bridges, a marvel of Chinese engineering.

Now, they just had to get there.

Leon glanced at Helena before jumping down onto the highway, Helena following after him. He immediately grabbed the closest zombie before hurling it at another one near the edge, sending them both toppling over. Many of the zombies in the area had noticed the two, and had started shambling towards them.

"There's...too many of them," Helena noted in a low tone. It was more of a statement of the fact than anything else. She wasn't particularly afraid of the zombies, they were not really serious threats.

Leon looked around a moment before glancing to the Quad Tower.

"We go there," he said. Helena nodded in agreement.

Making their way over the other side of the highway, they were then surprised by the sudden appearance of a burning plane. They leapt back a little as the plane smashed down onto the road, killing several zombies. Leon noticed the jet fuel pouring out.

"**JUMP!**" he said before they both leapt over the guardrail.

Plummeting quite a distance, Leon's arrival to earth was greeted with a loud thump as the ground cracked, whilst upon landing, Helena rolled to a stop.

A helicopter rumbled overhead as they looked on, and moments later, there was a massive explosion as the chopper suddenly smashed into a skyscraper.

They stared at it for a few moments before Leon shook his head.

'Let's go,"

* * *

><p>Nearly half an hour had passed, if they had to guess. The journey to the Quad Tower had been fairly uneventful and explosion-free, with the only problems they faced being the zombies and physical obstacles that obstructed their path. It was thankfully clear of exploding vehicles, people they could not save, and out-of-control helicopters.<p>

Now, they had finally arrived at their destination. The Quad Tower.

The main, central chamber had only one entrance, which was blocked by a barricade and a ramp. They had simply walked over it and jumped down.

The whole place was eerily silent. A very tall obelisk dominated the scene, Chinese characters carved into it, the thing reaching up into the sky. Around the structure, however, were the corpses of several dead B.S.A.A soldiers, and an APC.

Even from here, they could already smell the fact they were dead. The soldiers had failed to reach the evacuation point.

As they approached, Helena looked away, whilst Leon took a deep breath as he closed his eyes for a moment. Something smelled...off about the whole thing.

Just then, they heard a ragged breathing sound. Leon's eyes immediately reopened as he took in the figure who stumbled out from behind the obelisk. Helena recognized him instantly and growled, while Leon took on a battle stance and spoke.

"**Back for more?!**"

* * *

><p><em>Leon's appearance has been updated. He now has a few bony spikes sticking backwards out his elbow and forearm, and his spine is exposed, with Steve-esque spikes growing out the spine. His foot now has three clawed toes. Helena now has pale greengray skin, with dark green chitinous armor. Her hair is dark green too. Rate and review, folks._


	12. Chapter 11

_"The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in their control, and not the other way around...let them fight!"- a Japanese scientist, regarding two insectoid monsters that hatched from cocoons, one male and one female, battling against an even larger, dinosaur-like monster. _

* * *

><p>Leon and Helena stood their ground as they locked eyes with Simmons. The badly scarred and wounded man glared at them, his body heaving as his mouth twitched.<p>

He bore all the hallmarks of their previous fight; blood was still dripping from his stump of a right arm, his face was still horribly disfigured by Helena's acid attack, and there was a large, red circular scar around his midsection, an indicator of the spot where he was literally torn apart by them when they tag-teamed on him.

They didn't bother to question why he had yet to regenerate any of those wounds.

He twitched and convulsed a little, before they all heard the thumping of a helicopter. A bright light shone on him, and he glared at the occupant of the chopper as it flew down lower, as did Helena.

"Ada!" he yelled.

Within the cockpit, Ada observed the scene with subtle confusion. She could see the monstrous shapes of Leon and Helena( which made her wince in pain as she felt her leg injury) both looking at her, while Simmons continued glaring at her and accusing her of things that Carla did. Why were the two of them looking at her that way? Why did it look like they were just as eager as she was to battle Simmons?

"You...you disobeyed me!" he accused, wagging his finger like he was scolding a child. "You took Wesker's...son away! You used...that bastard's blood...to make...the virus...stronger!" he said with a final twitch before screaming, his body emitting steam.

"Hope...you got friends on the other side...cause **no one's gonna miss you here**," Leon said as bone blades emerged from his wrists, ready for battle.

Ada blinked. Did he just...speak? No, not just speak, but taunt? With a smartass one-liner?

Simmons roared at him before mutating- a long, gigantic spine shot out of his back while the rest of his body disassembled, rapidly growing and reconfiguring itself into a new, massive body. Within seconds, he had transformed into a gigantic form that somewhat resembled a carnivorous dinosaur, but skinless, with bony plating as armor, and a circular hole lined with mandible-like structures as a mouth, and as he roared at them they saw the giant eyeball lurking inside. It made Leon a little uncomfortable, as it reminded him too much of the monstrous forms taken on by William Birkin back in Raccoon City.

"He's...huge!" Helena stammered. Leon just sighed in resignation. This was going to be difficult.

They cautiously backed down as Simmons stomped towards them. He roared at them again before Ada made her move first. Pressing down a button, she opened fire, heavy 50. caliber rounds spraying on Simmons, the powerful ammunition from the helicopter's heavy machines guns splintering bone and causing major damage.

Simmons roared in pain as he turned to face the helicopter, his jaws opening wide. Ada simply maneuvered the helicopter back just as the jaws snapped, and she fired some heavy rockets at him. They exploded against him, causing visibly burned and scarred tissue to appear as some of the spine was blasted off. Simmons then looked toward a nearby car( how it got there was beyond any of them) before walking over and picking it up by his mouth, then facing Ada, intending to hurl the vehicle at the helicopter.

Just then, there was a loud, furious screech. Helena took a running leap before jumping up at Simmons' body, grasping, clawing and biting at him rather ineffectually with her teeth and talons. However, it was enough to distract Simmons, as he roared in rage before turning his head around, attempting to bite at Helena. After several tries, he caught her in his jaws, causing her to cry out in pain as she slashed at the outsides of his mouth. He brought her over before slamming her down on the ground, and then raising his foot to stomp her in.

Helena let out a distressed screech several times.

Just then, Leon jumped from the second floor onto Simmons' neck, stabbing both his blades into it as he grasped on with his feet. Simmons roared and his foot narrowly missed Helena, before he shook himself around, Leon continuing to stab and stab at his neck. Simmons then raised up his head, causing Leon to impale his blades deep into him as he hung on for dear life.

There was a huge opening here, and Ada took it. She unleashed a barrage of missiles at the vulnerable area under him- a cluster of eyeballs.

Simmons roared in pain as he stumbled back before toppling backwards, Leon letting go and climbing to his underside before he smashed into the ground, the row of spines shattered.

He then climbed over the body to reach Helena, who looked from him to the fallen Simmons. Was it over?

No, of course it wasn't always that simple, he told himself.

Suddenly, as if to prove his point, Simmons roared before getting back on his feet. Ada continued firing on him, but it appeared the armor had regenerated, as he seemed to simply shrug off the bullets now. He faced Leon and Helena before roaring at them again, exposing his giant eyeball before charging at Helena with his mouth wide open.

He was fast. Helena only had time to widen her eyes and brace herself before he smashed full-force into her, pushing her along. She grabbed at the rim of Simmons' circular mouth as she was pushed along, clenching her teeth as her talons dug deep into the concrete. She was superhumanly strong, yes, but she wasn't strong enough to keep this up forever.

Looking up at the giant eyeball that was staring at her, she leaned her head a little to the side. Her long tail then lashed overhead at it, the blade striking the soft tissue, causing blood to flicker across her face before stabbing at it again and again, Simmons weakening in his push as it came to a stop and she let out a feral screech.

Leon climbed up Simmons by the leg, before crawling over to the head and stabbing down at his skull, causing him to release Helena as he roared in pain. Leon could only manage to stab him one more time before Simmons grabbed him and flung him into one of the pillars supporting the second floor.

Another barrage of missiles exploded near his face, causing Simmons to look to the side, to the helicopter as Ada continued peppering bullets at him. Helena slowly got up, feeling tired but still determined to fight as Leon punched his fist into Simmons' knee so deep, he had to tug several times before pulling it back out, blood spurting with each tug, causing a massive, gaping hole to appear in the knee as he roared, collapsing to one leg.

Helena then leapt upon him, before grabbing onto the rim of Simmons' mouth. She then pulled back, forcing him to look upwards just as Leon climbed up via his throat, dragging his blades as he went, before leaping into the air and jumping into Simmons' open mouth.

Moments later, blood erupted out from the mouth as Leon came back out, and Helena went back down to join him. Simmons turned at them and roared, his massive eyeball bleeding and suffering from numerous wounds, stabbing and slashing wounds.

Just then, a B.S.A.A standard-issue APC drove through the barricade using the ramp, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. The driver looked around just as Simmons noticed him and roared.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked himself. Simmons then went stomping straight for him.

"Oh, shit!" He hit the accelerator.

The giant dinosaur-like mutant then pursued the APC, his jaws agape, intent on getting rid of a potential threat quickly.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" he ranted as he stepped on the gas. He felt a sudden pang of shock when he realized the vehicle could not move any longer, as though something was holding it back. Looking in the side mirror, he watched as he felt himself and the APC start getting dragged back, his sense of gravity changing as the car was lifted into the air.

He could only scream before he suddenly felt a rush of air, as though he were dropping, and the APC crashed into the ground, back in the same position it was earlier.

His hands still shaking, he slowly put his head out of the vehicle's window, before turning around and seeing something he could not really believe.

The B.O.W was shrieking as it thrashed around, and those two other B.O.W.s he saw on the way here...

There were fighting it. As in, holding on, clawing, biting and stabbing at him, while a helicopter thundered overhead, occasionally firing a burst of machine-gun rounds or a missile barrage at areas where it could be hit without compromising the two monsters that...that he may have unwittingly brought here.

He could only stare on in awe as the monsters duked it out. It was like something from a childhood monster movie, a dream come true.

For some reason, he looked down at the assault rifle in his hands and put it away. It honestly didn't feel like it was going to do him much good. All this time, he always felt as though despite their casualties, the B.S.A.A was still powerful, it could take on any bioterrorist threat. Now...

He felt weak and pathetic, a mere ant compared to the monsters, the behemoths before him. Even the smaller ones he felt he was no match to. Hence him putting away his rifle.

Instead, he pulled out a digital camera he always kept in the passenger compartment. His hands still shaking, he aimed through the lens and snapped a shot.

And another. And another. For several seconds, though it felt like hours, Fawkes took several pictures of the battle, making sure to capture all three at once if possible. He continued doing it even as a combination of a missile barrage and the female B.O.W actually _throwing _the male B.O.W at the dinosaur so that he could unleash a momentum-empowered attack on it that finally brought it smashing into a pillar. The cracks spread, and then the entire portion of floor above it collapsed, burying it under the rubble. A cloud of dust rose up from the area.

It seemed the fight was over. Out of the dust, the two figures stood up, and they stared at him. It was only then that Fawkes finally realized he was in deep, deep shit.

Not bothering to utter a swear, he panicked and hid himself into the APC. He then huddled up in the corner, too scared to do anything. Those two honestly average-sized B.O.W.s had just taken down a motherfucking _T-Rex _(yes, they had the assistance of a helicopter, but that was besides the point) and survived. He doubted he stood much of a chance against them.

It was then that he heard voices. Two voices, a male voice and a female voice. It sounded like they had great difficulty speaking, and their voices alternated between a somewhat normal-sounding voice and a monstrous, distorted voice, or a mix of both, with the monstrous one undertoning the normal one, but there were voices nonetheless. He slowly looked out.

The two monsters were _talking _to each other. And he recognized the language. They were speaking in English.

...!

His brain overloaded with information, he fainted on the spot.

He stayed that way for the rest of the hour.

* * *

><p>Leon stared at the B.S.A.A vehicle that made its sudden and unexpected appearance, the driver still huddled up in there, cowering in fear. He didn't blame him; it must have been a terrifying experience. The light then shone on him and Helena both.<p>

Helena glared at the helicopter, or rather, its pilot.

"**Ada**..." she hissed.

Then, a hand placed itself in front of her. Helena turned to Leon, who was still looking up at Ada.

She then noticed that there were...tears?

Leon was crying?

Behind the window, Ada was having very conflicted thoughts. There was very blatant evidence in front of her - hell, the whole damn fight! - that they were both still themselves. Leon was very clearly capable of communicating and coordinating with Helena to bring down Simmons, and vice versa. Also, they were aware of Ada's assistance and deliberately gave chances for her to shoot or bombard him in the weak points.

But...on the other hand...she had never come face-to-face with anything like this before, especially when it came to the fact her..._lover _was one of the infected. The closest she came to that were the rumors regarding the t-Abyss Virus, and how, supposedly, some victims were still able to keep their minds and ability of speech, including the capability to seek out specific people for purposes of revenge. She got that one from a fellow anonymous female agent, but whom she knew from the rumors was much less ethical than her and thus, someone to stay away from at all costs, unless you liked a knife in your back.

But then, again, she had never faced or handled the t-Abyss Virus before, as the sample being held by that agent had long-since disappeared into unknown hands, and therefore she believed that like all other viruses descended from the Progenitor Virus, the C-Virus rendered its victims little more than mindless beasts. Sure, she had dismissed Edonia reports by other agents in the intelligence underworld and civilian rumors that not just some, but _most _victims of this virus could retain their minds, but she treated them as just that; rumors. Untrustworthy information gathered from unreliable sources. Typically screaming, panicky civilians. She recalled some hysterical survivors of Raccoon City who claimed the plodding zombies had the ability to shoot fire from their fingertips, unleash energy beams, and even fly.

The simple fact now was that she was being confronted with clear-cut evidence the rumors regarding the C-Virus were very real, and that...actually made her sympathize with them. Helena, especially.

Was it true that like her sister, Leon, and the countless other C-Virus B.O.W.s terminated both in Edonia and in Lanshiang, as well as that submarine, Deborah Harper was also able to keep her mind?

Did she really kill an...innocent girl?

While it was true that Ada's line of work was morally unsavory, she had made it a very proud trait of herself that she would never take an innocent life, and would in fact assist them if she could. When she worked, it was more than just her and the job, it was the innocents caught in the middle too.

The implication of what she may have really done in Tall Oaks, coupled with how callous and insensitive she was when she believed Deborah was mindless, deeply...disturbed her. She wondered if the gnawing feeling eating away at her mind now was actually...guilt.

Never mind that for now. She would think about her actions later. Now, she still had one last job to do. She flew upwards, towards the roof.

* * *

><p>The two mutants stared as Ada flew away to parts unknown, though it was most likely the roof. Then, Helena growled, once again grabbing Leon's attention.<p>

"Helena-"

"She got away this time...if I can...get to her, I **will **kill h**er**," she said.

"Helena, please...try to understand her. She...didn't know it at the time, and neither did you. Ada would never...hurt someone innocent. I know her." he pleaded, looking into her yellow eyes.

"**You just like her, don't you?**"

Leon was silent. He looked away from her.

"...**I thought so,**"

Just then, the pile of rubble that had crushed Simmons erupted as a giant creature rised its head out, roaring and snapping at them. Leon sighed; he was honestly getting tired of Simmons' annoying persistence.

He walked over to him before grabbing his jaws, and pulling them wide. He glanced at Helena and nodded to her.

Helena returned the nod before coming over to them. Leon held the mouth over her, the giant, battered eyeball swiveling between the two of them in a panicked fashion. She greatly concentrated the force in her throat, before leaning right over the mouth, and spewing a torrent of acid down at it.

Simmons cried out and gurgled as the acid rapidly burned through both the eyeball and the interiors of the mouth, weakening the tissue, and Leon pulled with all his strength. Blood spewed out as the neck came loose, and after a few moments the head came off entirely in an impressive shower of blood, the giant, disfigured eyeball still connected to the main parts of the body through some optic nerves.

Leon threw the skull aside just as the headless remains of Simmons disassembled back into a screaming, injured, one-armed, facially scarred human.

Helena took her turn first. Leaping onto Simmons and pinning him down, insectoid limbs erupted from her back before she impaled him in the chest, his face that of shock and anger before she ripped it out, a gaping hole visible in his torso. She then attacked the same spot, again, and again, before getting off. Leon wryly noted that this attack was more or less exactly the same as the one Deborah used on them when she fought back in self-defense back in Tall Oaks. Guess it runs in the family.

Now it was Leon's turn. Jumping onto him as well, he simply clenched his fist and pounded Simmons' face into the ground repeatedly. Within only a few punches, his face was completely pulverized, nearly becoming a fleshless, grinning skull with eyeballs and hair, before he started pounding away those too. Bits of bone was shattered as Simmons' face was smashed, no, flattened into the ground, and after several more punches there was not even a recognizable skull left, or even something solid, just a nauseating paste on the ground consisting of bone and brain matter.

Panting, he got off. The two of them looked at what was left of Simmons.

"Our...discussion with Ada isn't over yet. Just so you know," Helena hissed in a disturbingly calm manner, as if nothing had even happened. She chose to ignore the question of whether Simmons was still alive or not.

Leon said nothing. They continued to the elevators, where they started going upwards.

* * *

><p><strong>NOTES: TYPES OF B.O.W<strong>

**C-Virus B.O.W.s can be broadly categorized into two types, which will be referred to as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 B.O.W.s are created by infecting human subjects through direct injections of the virus. Being a splice between the G-Virus and t-Veronica Virus, the C-Virus allows the host to retain their full mental faculties( the intended purpose of t-Veronica, and something that is lost to instinct upon mutation by G) while simultaneously granting the host the advanced mutational capabilities of the G-Virus. This makes for deadly, intelligent B.O.W.s. However, flaws arise in the fact that although effective, the host can only mutate so much, with the largest possible record being the Iluzija B.O.W. Creating massive, powerful bio-weapons akin to WMDs is very difficult with Type 1, and there is the matter of 'loyalty problems' that may arise due to the power of such B.O.W.s combined with their ability to think for themselves( though Ms Wong has stated it will not be a problem. The B.O.W.s themselves are also only as intelligent as the host) The Rasklapanje is a notable exception, acting on animal instinct rather than intelligence.**

**Thus, Type 2 B.O.W.s were created. Rather than being infected humans, these bio-weapons are created through mass organ and tissue cloning, followed by infection with the virus. The resulting creatures, although far more powerful than Type 1, lack human intelligence and act more on instinct than anything else, reflecting the effects of the G-Virus. They can only be created for one singular purpose, and once that purpose is fulfilled are to be terminated or self-terminated, lest they become a threat to anybody, friend or foe. Examples include the Ogroman, Brzak and the apex of our research, Haos. We are currently researching a means of controlling them, possibly through the Plaga organisms( though this is hampered by our distinct lack of a Plaga sample, despite rumors of successful development of 'Type 4' Plagas by other bio-weapon dealers.)**

**Quite recently, though, Ms Wong has stated she has succeeded in #REDACTED# **

* * *

><p><em>The time between Leon and Helena's initial infection and transformation into a Chrysalid is about 30 seconds, give or take. Ada has also somehow- SOMEHOW- never heard of the t-Veronica Virus in her time working for Wesker, in case you're wondering.<em>

_ I'm also sorry if this fight was shorter than you might expect, but I just had a hard time thinking of imaginative things in what's a pretty repetitive fight (just run around and let Ada do the hard work). Once again, a great, great many thanks to Mazzie May for helping me out regarding this chapter! If any of you people can do it, a page at TVTropes would be neat.  
><em>_Also, we are almost 2/3 finished here, humans. Thanks for all the support! I really, really appreciate them :) _


	13. Chapter 12

**Graljivica :Predator/Hunter**

**Dahakim**: **Stalker/To stalk**

* * *

><p>For several long minutes, they went up the elevator, which was fairly spacious for their size and height. The air was completely silent save for their breathing. The sounds of the many, many nearby explosions rocking the neighboring skyscrapers were dulled through the thick glass.<p>

Right now, Leon was thinking about what would come in the future. Aside from the lone APC driver that they had left unconscious down below, there were no survivors, civilians and B.S.A.A alike. And even if there was a means of communication or a helicopter on the roof, what would they do? Try their best to explain the situation to the B.S.A.A, if they would even listen? Try to contact and explain everything to F.O.S, Hunnigan? Even if salvation awaited them on the top of the elevator, he had no idea what would await them when they contacted normal humans again. And then there was the whole thing with Ada. He still had feelings for her, that much was true. But then, what would she think of him? All they really had so far since his infection was eye contact. He had yet to actually speak to her.

Besides him, Helena was having thoughts of her own. All she could think about now, was her intense, burning desire for vengeance against Ada, how much she wanted to see that woman dead. A second thought was worrying about the girl they left in the apartment, and whom she deeply hoped was alright, but it was being overshadowed by her lust for revenge. A third, nagging thought pleaded with her, told her she was becoming far too obsessed, but she ignored it. Her tail feathers bristled as her talons clicked the ground.

Neither of them were really in the mood for a conversation, small talk, or even just clicking and chittering at each other.

Just then, the elevator screeched to a sudden, abrupt halt. Leon growled as Helena shrieked, both of them stumbling a little as they lost their footing. Then, the area behind the elevator doors exploded, sending the whole thing flying out of the building, connected only by a few wires as the two of them roared, holding onto the railing so they wouldn't tumble out. Glancing towards a nearby, intact elevator, Leon looked at Helena before motioning towards it. She took one look and chirped an affirmative.

They then leapt out of the open doors, onto the roof of the other elevator just as the high-tension wires snapped and the elevator they were in just seconds ago fell down the abyss, where it was soon consumed by the smoke. Helena then grabbed onto the wire just as this elevator also exploded, and it started falling down its path. Leon fell a little, but managed to hold on just a little behind Helena.

With a grimace on his face, Leon started climbing up the wire, but then hesitated when he heard the straining sound of the wire. That...didn't sound too good. If he kept that up, there was a chance the thing might just snap and cause him and Helena to fall to their deaths.

So instead, he swung himself onto the adjacent wall with a grunt. He dug his fingers into the concrete, being strong enough to hold on, before he started climbing. Helena saw what he was doing, and similarly leapt onto the wall, her insect legs emerging and stabbing onto the wall to strengthen her weaker grip, the talons not being as strong as Leon's. The two of them slowly, but surely started to climb up the skyscraper, intending to reach the roof.

"Wouldn't...r-recommend looking down..."

"Wasn't planning to...to,"

As they went on, only now did they realize the chaotic situation; aside from the fires and seemingly random explosions, the skybridge behind them suddenly crumbled and toppled, for no apparent reason.

Seems God was angry today, and He showed it.

There was another massive explosion explosion above them, and they both shielded their eyes, turning away and closing them as they felt the sharp pain of glass shards piercing their flesh. The wounds were minor, and were quick to regenerate, but still...

She said nothing, only growling as she continued climbing up, Leon following after.

There was suddenly the sound of intense combat, as a rather familiar-sounding voice, warped and flowing with hatred, sounded off several times, along with the sounds of a sub-machine gun firing off. Leon turned back to see...ah, shit. Simmons was there on the skybridge, fighting..._Ada_.

"**Simmons****!**" Leon roared.

"...still alive..."

"She...never should have d-ditched that heli..helicopter..."

The skybridge Ada was standing on started shaking, and she took a brief glance around her surroundings before limping over to a spot, and letting her grapple gun take her to another skybridge above them just as the old one crumbled in a glorious explosion and collapsed. Simmons was already there, waiting for her.

"Ada!"

"She...went up!"

"H-Hurry!"

They continued climbing, and just made it onto the remains of yet another collapsed skybridge. Ada and Simmons were fighting each other on the other side, though it seemed like Ada was having quite some trouble, due to apparently being slower and unable to dodge as gracefully as she used to. Just as they stepped on the concrete, though, it shook and they immediately jumped back onto the walls, just as what was left of the bridge, too, collapsed.

"Come on, Leon! Catch...up!" Helena screeched.

"Always...get stuck with the bossy ones..." he quietly said to himself.

There was yet _another _massive explosion above them, and Leon's eyes went wide as he saw what was falling down.

"**W-watch out!**" he roared as the giant piece of unidentifiable debris hit Helena. She screeched as she tumbled over him, but at the last minute Leon managed to grab onto her clawed hand. They locked eyes for a moment before she chirped in thanks. She then climbed over him, back onto her original position.

They could see what appeared to be light up ahead, and it was only a matter of time before they could reach it...

Simmons suddenly leapt onto the wall himself, and he roared at them as he started climbing after them.

"Damn it!" Helena roared as both she and Leon started to climb faster, but damn, Simmons was fast...

A sudden crack of a sniper rifle came, and blood spurted out Simmons as he roared as slid down the wall some distance. Helena could only pause a while before she resumed climbing.

Finally reaching the floor, she heaved herself up and silently reached down to grasp Leon's hand.

Instead, she saw as Leon looked the other way and cried "Ada!" She followed his eyes, and saw what had happened.

Ada had managed to land on another skybridge, but this time she stumbled a little, her expression pained as she caught her breath. Suddenly, after taking another step, she screamed in pain as blood spurted out the wounds Helena inflicted on her leg, kneeling down and gritting her teeth as her wounds reopened from all the stress. This also caused her to grunt one more time before collapsing, blood pooling around her leg. Ironically, she narrowly ducked a swipe at her head from Simmons when she fell down.

Wait, were those bandages _outside_ of her tight pants? Does she...know anything about basic first aid? Hey, not that Helena was complaining. She briefly wondered if Ada ever applied her version of first aid to anyone before.

She looked between Leon's distressed( she could tell by now, even if there seemed to be little change in facial expressions) look and the unconscious Ada. Leon then jumped to the other side, the skybridge creaking as dust rose from his thump. He then leaned over Ada, and held her in his arm.

"S-Stay with me, Ada!"

Helena could only manage the barest of growls before she glided down, landing next to Leon.

"GET AWAY FROM HER. LEON! YOU'RE NOT HALF THE MAN SHE NEEDS!"

Goddamn...Simmons...

For just a second, Leon switched his attention to the very man who did this, and yet-

"Come with me, my love...We'll be together, forever!"

If he really love her, then he wouldn't do something like this to her. He turned back to Ada.

"If...if you're really Ada...I k-know you can...do this..." he stammered.

Just then, her eyes slowly opened. Then they widened in what appeared to be surprise or shock.

"Leon..." she quietly said as she took in the mutated, insectoid face, that nevertheless exhumed a sense of gentleness. She then groaned in pain, looking down at her badly wounded leg. Leon then slowly put his mouth to her ear, before whispering, "_Leave him to us,_"

Ada looked at him for a moment more before murmuring "_ok,". _Her head then lolled back as she lost consciousness. Leon tensed up for a moment, but heard her steady heartbeat and realized she would be stable for at least a while more. He saw the bottle lying near her and took it, seeing it was herbal medication. He then popped it open and shook a few pills into her mouth.

Leaning over, he whispered, "_Don't worry. We'll be fine,". _He could swear Ada nodded for a moment before he decided to leave her to rest for a while.

"**Grarrr!**" Simmons roared as he transformed into his centaur-like form and charged, rage evident in his voice.

Leon roared back as he raised his arm, deflecting the bone spikes that were being shot out. As Simmons drew closer, he then landed a powerful blow on him, causing him to stumble as Helena darted around him, chips of bone flaking off.

Simmons responded by swiping at Leon with his large claws, which he narrowly ducked. Leon then revealed both his blades just as Helena shrieked and leapt upon Simmons' back, her insect limbs coming out and impaling Simmons. He roared as he reared back, as though trying to get her to drop off. This also provided an opening for Leon, who stabbed repeatedly at Simmons' vulnerable underside repeatedly with his blades before finishing off with a powerful kick, his three-clawed foot still lodged inside as he glanced at Helena, who nodded and released her grip before Leon pulled himself out, chunks of flesh and organ coming out with him.

Simmons roared before spinning around to attack Helena, who swiftly leapt backwards before lunging. She held onto his upper structure before clawing and biting at his face, the actual damage done being miniscule, but it was enough to distract Simmons. Leon pounced on his back and stabbed into a patch of unarmored flesh. Simmons then suddenly collapsed backwards, probably intending to crush Leon.

Instead, it had the opposite effect. He roared in pain as two bone blades erupted from the underside, thanks to his own push. Helena proceeded to leap upon the thrashing Simmons before clawing, digging into the soft flesh. Blood spurted out in copious amounts as Simmons continued thrashing about.

Suddenly, Simmons somehow managed to release himself from the blades, revealing a very exhausted-looking Leon. He then knocked Helena to the ground, her insectoid legs quickly withdrawing themselves just as Simmons whirled around and barreled into Leon.

Leon's arms were flung outward as he was charged into, smashing into the building. A new hole in their general shapes opened in the concrete as they rammed through the wall, Simmons continuing to push Leon through what appeared to be tables and chairs in an everyday office before crashing him through a glass pane, Leon's top half dangling over the edge of a 50-storey building.

He grunted and flailed around, trying to get a good attack on Simmons when he noticed the snarling zombie that was apparently falling from the sky. Swinging around, he reached out and grabbed the creature by the head, before launching himself forward and slamming Simmons with it.

The zombie was destroyed entirely in a shower of gore as Simmons stumbled back, allowing Leon enough breathing space to release himself from Simmons' grip and extend his left blade, before jamming it through his face. Using his free right arm, he began to punch Simmons repeatedly, the blows powerful and punting off chunks of flesh and bone.

Simmons roared and struggled for a moment before he grabbed onto Leon's offending arm. His eyes widened as he realized what Simmons was about to do.

There was a sickening pop and crunch of bone as the arm was twisted, and Leon cried out in pain as the right arm was ripped off its joint, blood spilling out and gushing onto the ground.

Now that...just hurt like fucking hell. Granted, he knew the nature of the virus meant he would regenerate in a few minutes, give or take, but _still. _

Simmons appeared to grin at the sight of Leon's pain. He failed to notice the rumbling of something - or someone - in the vents above.

He certainly did not see the sudden collapse of the ceiling coming. A few cracks had appeared on top that Leon noticed out the corner of his eye, being too focused on the pain in his arm, while Simmons either didn't see it or ignored it entirely. The next moment, the ceiling gave way, concrete, furniture, and a long section of air vent caving in on Simmons, who roared.

Helena rose up from the wreckage. She chirped at Leon before turning to face Simmons, her face twisting into a growl.

Walking over to him, she raised her claws to strike when he suddenly reacted first. Lashing out with an arm, he struck Helena, causing her to screech as she flew across the room.

Smashing against a wall and sliding to the ground, she opened her eyes to see as Simmons raced over to her, before slamming his arms down on her body. He snarled opening his mouth to speak.

"**You don't know when to quit, do you Agent Harper?! You can't defeat me, you are too weak, and I am strong! I'll show you-**"

He was interrupted when Helena plunged her talons into his open mouth, his eyes wide as she dug around his throat, clenching her claws before pulling them out.

There were several heavy footsteps nearby, and Helena watched as Leon came over, his arm partly regenerated. She grinned and nodded, and he returned the gesture before holding onto the section of throat and tongue Helena had pulled out, Simmons still struggling and trying to scream in agony.

Blood spurted out Simmons' mouth as the two mutants ripped out his tongue. They regarded the long organ with disgust before throwing it away, just as Simmons flashed a growl and swung his arm in a wide arc.

He then started thrashing around wildly, swinging and clawing at wherever Leon and Helena were, all the while screaming insanely. Helena ducked a swing just as an arm that was had grabbed onto and was now holding a table swung over her head. There was a flash of pain, followed by dizziness as she stumbled back, clutching her head before falling down.

Leon took note of her incapacitated form and dodged another wild attack, before he grabbed the nearest hard object he could find and smashed it into Simmons. To his surprise, he realized he had somehow obtained a marble bust of Simmons himself to attack him with it. The white statue was instantly shattered into pieces before Simmons grunted and countered by punching into Leon, the powerful blow sending him smashing across a wall into the adjacent room.

Crashing into a container of some sort of liquid, Leon immediately sniffed something foul coming from the gushing container. Almost like...kerosene.

There was no time to think about it, though, as Simmons came bounding into the room and slammed his arm into him. However, Leon then dodged it, leaning to the side as he crashed into something made of glass. Looking over what appeared to be a display case( what it was doing there was beyond him), he grabbed the heavy anvil in both hands and smashed it overhead into Simmons, in an almost cartoonish attack were it not for his cry of pain as Leon caved in his face with the anvil.

Looking around for more improvised weapons to fight, he then saw the many trays and bottles of chemicals and bottles on a counter nearby.

Walking over to them, Leon just took one bottle and inspected it before emptying its contents into another. He ignored the foul-smelling fumes as he mixed some chemicals before hurling the concoction at Simmons' stirring form.

Now, Leon was never the best at Chemistry class back in school. In fact, it was accurate to say he wasn't good in any of the science classes. Exactly how the thing he just brewed up right now turned out to be a chemical bomb, he did not know. He did know, however, that the bottle of the stuff he threw seemed to explode upon contact, and Simmons was crying out in pain at it.

Thus, without hesitation, he went to work with another one, mixing random chemicals before throwing it at Simmons. This time, the mixture seemed to ignite and burst into flames, causing Simmons to flail around as his organic superstructure, including his face, was set ablaze.

He then roared and charged at Leon, who could only blink before he was smashed into, knocking over the various chemicals. He growled, ignoring the various pains and sizzling sounds on his back before grabbing the first random bottle of stuff he could find on his side and smashing it into Simmons' face.

He roared as Leon heard something sizzle, and smiled. Acid. A strong one too, probably as strong as Helena's naturally produced acid.

Simmons then shook his head and glared straight into Leon, who was not intimidated at all, but did let out an audible sigh.

Leon then grunted before Simmons pinned him down with his arms, simply shouting incomprehensible gibberish at him before raising his arm and slamming it down. Leon grimaced as he dodged his head to the side, and as he did he heard the sound of something heavy dragging across the ground.

There was a feral screech as Helena revealed herself, having recovered and now wielding a heavy pipe that she used to swing into Simmons. The weight and power of the object, combined with her strength, caused a significant chunk of Simmons' biomass to be punted off as she attacked him with the pipe, swinging repeatedly at him. He roared and got off to confront her, allowing Leon to go free.

Helena shrieked as she ducked and weaved Simmons' attacks, before retaliating with swings of the pipe. The pipe could only take so much, however, and thus after a particularly powerful blow to Simmons' face, it broke into two. This did not lessen its danger, however. Helena then proceeded to try stabbing at Simmons with the sharpened hunk of lead, but after missing a jab, Simmons struck her in the side. She fell to the floor and could only look at him before seeing black.

A massive, blinding pain then overtook her senses, and she screamed as she saw nothing, but could feel something sharp digging around in her eye sockets, a sickening squishing sound coming from them, and she realized with shock that Simmons had jabbed her in the eyes.

Effectively blinded, she could only smell and hear around her as she was picked up and slammed against the ground. She could feel the eyes slowly regenerating, but she needed her vision back, now-

Closing her talons over one of her sockets, she squeezed hard, gasping and trying her best to resist the pain as she deliberately prevented one of her eyes from fully regenerating, digging around the hole herself. She could feel her vision in the other eye coming back fast. By preventing one eye from being regenerated right away, the virus was able to dedicate itself more to healing the other eye and restoring at least part of her vision.

And when that vision came back just as she was slammed down again, she saw Leon in the corner. Blinking once with her good eye, she tossed the pipe fragment at him.

Leon reached his right hand out and clutched the jagged piece of lead, his arm having regenerated already. He unleashed a loud battle-cry before racing forward just as Simmons turned his face to look at him. Stabbing with the pipe, he stabbed it into the side of his head, and even as Simmons cried for mercy, he continued pushing the pipe in deeper, blood spewing out as he drove it in, being pushed on by adrenaline and feral instinct.

With a loud, nauseous sound, the other end of the pipe came out the other side of Simmons' skull.

Without saying a word, he then collapsed, apparently unconscious.

It didn't escape both of them that he was still alive. With a nod to Helena, they both ganged up on him.

Leon extended both his blades and started to simply alternate between punching, stabbing and kicking Simmons' fallen form, whilst Helena's insectoid legs emerged from her back to stab down on him. There was no real strategy to this; they were allowing their instincts to take control now, even if they would normally try to resist it, and those very same instincts were directing them to attack Simmons in as animalistic and pragmatic a way as possible- go for him together when he's down. Don't stop. Keep attacking until he's dead.

With a sudden lurch, Simmons acted.

His bony armor seemed to sacrifice itself, seeing as it suddenly exploded outwards, the bone fragments becoming makeshift spikes and shrapnel that flew out like a grenade, peppering both Leon and Helena. They cried out in pain as they stumbled back, Leon landing back into the pool of oily stuff from before, in the container.

Helena fell backwards, and immediately screeched as there was a new, impaling pain in her abdomen. She looked down to realize she had fallen onto a piece of rebar.

_"You stupid, stupid girl,_" she told herself inwardly for not observing and keeping watch of her surroundings.

Looking around, she watched as Simmons recovered, his body devoid of the bony armor now, pale red flesh and muscle exposed, but it was undoubtedly much faster and more agile now. He clomped over to her menacingly as she took note of the red object to her side and grabbed it.

No time to be fussy now. This was a desperate moment, so she didn't care much as she aimed the fire extinguisher at Simmons and let loose the spray.

Simmons groaned at the cooling spray and knocked it out of her hand. Well, that was that.

She then opened her mouth to spit acid on him, just as Simmons grabbed her by the throat, his grip extremely tight as he forced her face upwards, preventing her from landing a good spit.

She choked and flailed as she suddenly realized Simmons was choking her to death.

_"Well, is this it? Is this the end of the line?" _she thought to herself as her vision started to slowly go dark, from a combination of oxygen deprivation and the bleeding from the rebar.

Just then, she thought she saw something glow somewhere off to her side. There were several spark-like screeches, like the sound of friction.

Then there was the distinctive noise of something igniting. This time, even Simmons couldn't ignore it, seeing as his eyes turned to the side, squinting in apparent annoyance.

Leon stood there. Both his blades were extended and, more importantly, they were on fire. The smell of kerosene hung in the air as he raked the blades across the ground, sparks flying out as the blaze became even stronger.

He roared, mandibles splitting wide apart before going on the offensive.

The attacks were almost blindingly fast. Each fiery strike and stab did no apparent damage to Simmons, not by human eyes, but with their vision they could easily see that he was visibly affected by each and every attack, his face twisting with pain upon getting struck and he was gradually pushed back from the attacks.

Simmons then reached out with one arm and grabbed onto Leon by the neck firmly, roaring before unleashing a massive bone pellet barrage into him point-blank.

Leon gasped in pain and blood came out his mouth as Simmons released him, his body slumping to the ground. He was gravely wounded, and he knew that it was a very real possibility he would bleed out faster than he could regenerate. Simmons, too, panted in exhaustion; that massive attack was more an act of desperation, a last resort, than anything else. He had depleted all his energy to unleash it, well aware he would have been defeated had he not used it.

He turned back, and started slowly walking over to Helena, who had seen the whole fight and had now successfully removed herself from the rebar, but was completely exhausted- she lay there on the ground, watching her imminent death approach.

Then there was a sudden look of shock on his face. Helena heard it too. The breathing, and the sound of someone getting back on his feet.

Turning around with his eyes wide open, he watched as Leon, his blades still ablaze, shrieked and brutally charged into Simmons. He put up his arm in an attempt to defend himself, but it was futile; the attack earlier had weakened him, and he was defenseless as Leon smashed himself into him, pushing him through the building while stabbing into the side with his blade.

He recalled all the pain Simmons put Leon and Helena through. Deborah. 77,000 civilians. The President- no, Adam.

There was only a roar that escaped from his mouth before he smashed Simmons against, and out of, the wall.

Letting go, he collapsed to his knees, out of exhaustion, as he felt the open air and the dust cloud. They were back outside, and miraculously, also on the sky bridge. He looked over as a shape he recognized as Helena's emerged out of the hole, walking weakly towards him. Although she was exhausted, she still managed a small smile and chirped at him. Leon, too, smiled or at least tried to, and gave a happy-sounding growl. He was glad to see Helena was still alive.

Wait. How about Ada?

He was interrupted when there was a loud groaning noise. Helena growled and looked over to the side, and Leon followed her eyes to see that Simmons was awakening, though he was still visibly wounded and exhausted, vomiting blood.

He growled and charged into him. There was only a yelp only Simmons was forced over the edge.

Only, he refused to fall. He has no energy left to attack, but he still stubbornly refused to allow himself to get pushed over the edge. Leon grunted as he pushed, also too tired to beat him back.

Then, Helena joined the fray. She gritted her teeth as she went to Leon's side and assisted him, trying to push Simmons over the edge. The damn bastard was persistent, and even though he was clearly defeated, just refused to give up.

They both suddenly heard what appeared to be the sound of a gun cocking.

"Leon, Helena, get to the side!" a familiar voice cried out.

They had no idea what was going to happen, but they moved their heads to the side anyway, exposing Simmons' face to Ada, who was aiming a small, yellow-colored gun at him.

"Eat this," she said.

There was a very loud bang as a bright red, smoking projectile came out the end of the flare gun in Ada's hands. It hit Simmons square in the face, the miniature firework-like object rebounding off just a little bit in front of him before it exploded with a loud bang and a flash of light, causing Leon, Helena, and Ada to squint and look away while Simmons screamed as he was showered with hot sparks. His face set ablaze, he continued screaming as he toppled over the edge.

And as he went, one of his arms suddenly grabbed onto Helena. She screeched as she was dragged along, Simmons actually releasing her as fast as he grabbed her, but it was enough to send her falling with him as well.

That is, until something grabbed her talons, preventing her from falling to an inevitable doom.

She sighed in relief, but suddenly froze; something felt distinctly wrong with whatever was holding onto her. It clearly lacked Leon's strength, she could feel it struggling to hold on, and it lacked the raw, rough texture of his flesh, skin and bony nudges. It was also too small, and on top of that, it felt like it was wearing...gloves.

Oh no. Oh no oh no. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening at all. It couldn't be!

Despite not wanting to, she forced herself to slowly gaze upwards at her 'saviour'.

"**ADA?!**"

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><p><strong>NOTES: GRESISTE<strong>

**Subject-###-exhibits sociopathic hatred of the world-###-apparently yearns vengeance for some reason-###-complete sadist, clearly takes pleasure in destruction-###-exhibits complete disregard for human life, even own family-###-tends to break into bouts of psychopathic mania-###-very good at emotional manipulation, charismatic, trickery, clinically anti-social-###-perfect candidate-###-delicious-###-my greatest...work...yet-######**

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><p>I'm<em> not sure if any of you got this idea, but when I describe Leon as 'Tyrant-like', I don't mean he literally looks like one. He's muscular and has two hearts, yea, but not he's not disproportionately bulky like Mister X or NemesisUstanak. His structure is tall and proportionally lean, and I would compare him to the fairly lean mutant!Steve, or Eren in Attack on Titan. Also, I gave Leon and Helena Serbian B.O.W codenames because why the hell not. _

_We're almost near the end now. *Almost* Keep the reviews and critique coming, guys._


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